Major flooding is expected to continue along several major river systems on Friday, including the Lachlan, Darling and Murrumbidgee rivers, affecting towns including Forbes, Condobolin, Bourke and Hay.

“We still have a widespread, significant emergency response across western and southern NSW,” State Emergency Service chief superintendent Ashley Sullivan said.

“Particularly concerning is that we are watching a weather system over the weekend where we may see some additional rainfall and strong winds over (those areas).”

The SES conducted five flood rescues across the central-west region in the 24 hours to Friday morning in addition to 244 other calls for assistance.

With some rivers in flood for the past six months, Sullivan said interstate and international help was on hand to relieve fatigued SES personnel.

“This flooding at this rate is anticipated to be around right through Christmas … and right into the new year,” he said.

The prolonged crisis has led NSW Farmers to call for the tripling of federal government emergency flood grants to $75,000.

Producers will struggle to recover without further support, the industry body says.

Defence assistance is also needed to fix damaged roads to get farmers back on their properties to harvest what is left of their crops, NSW Farmers says.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet on Friday will meet evacuees and emergency services in Eugowra after a flash flood devastated the central-west town.

Meanwhile, police are continuing to search floodwaters around the town for signs of Ljubisa Vugec, 85, and a man in his 20s. Both are feared dead.

Downstream, Condobolin and Euabalong are bracing for the worst after the Lachlan River rose beyond records set there in 1952.

Water levels in Euabalong are forecast to reach 7.7 metres over the weekend, Condobolin could top 7.6m on Monday and further rises later in the week are possible, the weather bureau says.

About 1000 Forbes residents are subject to evacuation orders for the second time in as many weeks as the regional centre’s CBD was again flooded.

The prolonged major flooding isn’t expected to cease until early next week.

Major flooding is also occurring around Hay as the Murrumbidgee River remains high.

Mildura and Boundary Bend are also on alert as the Murray River and surrounding tributaries remain swollen.

The outback town of Bourke will be a cause of concern after the weather bureau predicted the Darling River’s peak around Monday could match the level set in the September 1998 floods.

Much of the country’s southeast will experience clear conditions on Friday morning before thunderstorms return to western NSW in the evening, the weather bureau said.

Thunderstorms will be widespread across NSW on Saturday before easing on Sunday afternoon.

Renewed showers are not expected to pose a flood risk, it said.

-AAP