A five-year-old boy has died after becoming trapped in a car that was swept away by floodwaters in central western NSW.

Two vehicles, including a Toyota Hilux, became trapped in floodwaters on McGrane Way at Tullamore, northwest of Parkes, on Friday night.

Emergency services used a boat to rescue four people from the Hilux who were found clinging to trees, including a 37-year-old man, a 28-year-old woman, and a young boy and girl.

However, the five-year-old boy became trapped in the car before it submerged and was swept away.

NSW Police officers started searching on Saturday for the Hilux and at about 3.20pm the boy’s body was located in the still-submerged car by police divers.

His family was taken to Dubbo Base Hospital for observation. The occupants of the second vehicle weren’t injured.

The Hilux has since been retrieved and police are investigating ahead of a report being prepared for the coroner. 

A low-pressure system that brought torrential rain and flooded dozens of river systems in inland NSW and the state’s north in the latter part of the week is moving offshore, although forecasters say the situation is still “evolving”.

Early on Saturday, flood warnings remained active for 28 river systems from the inland west, through to the Northern Rivers and the Mid North Coast.

In the town of Gunnedah, home to 9000 people, major flooding was continuing after the Namoi River peaked at 8.24 metres on Saturday morning. The water is expected to remain high going into Sunday.

At Wee Waa, just 120km northwest, floodwaters are still slowly falling but could remain above major flood levels into next week.

The cotton town is protected by an 8km levee but Narrabri Shire mayor Ron Campbell told AAP the rainfall had destroyed local roads.

“If we get substantial rain across the summer, we could have a record flood for sure – probably something not seen since the 1970s,” Mr Campbell said.

The wet weather has caused anxiety in the Tumbulgum community on the Tweed River after its burst its banks and flooded paddocks on Friday.

Many locals remained hyper-vigilant after major flooding hit the region earlier this year, Husk Distillers co-owner Harriet Messenger told AAP.

“Everybody in the region is always very on edge – particularly so close to another major event,” she said.

Farmers in north Queensland also faced an anxious few days after heavy falls in the state’s north, however, a severe thunderstorm warning was cancelled on Friday.

Currumbin Valley organic farmer David Freeman suffered losses of his leafy green crops, telling AAP he feared the wild weather may have killed half his avocado trees.

“They’re very sick as a result of the last 12 months of heavy rain because of the saturated soil … and this deluge is just going to re-saturate the soil and will cause more soil fungus problems,” Mr Freeman said.

“(The rain) is weighing heavily on farmers because we just got trashed in the early part of this year.”

By Cassandra Morgan and Jack Gramenz in Sydney

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