The driver, a 27-year-old woman, managed to get out but the passenger, 26, was dragged away with the strong current.

‘A tragic circumstance and a dire situation’

The missing woman is an engineer and has been in Australia on a working visa for the past three years.

Both sides of the nation faced severe weather, with high winds and storms in Western Australia and soggy conditions and flooding continuing for northern NSW.

‘A very hectic period’

“It has been a very hectic period for our wonderful NSW volunteers and we’ve had over 1,300 of them out and about, responding predominantly around the mid north coast area,” deputy commissioner Debbie Platz told ABC News.

The NSW SES reported on Sunday morning that they’d been responding to severe weather and widespread flooding across NSW, with over 1,455 incidents linked to heavy rain, storms and snow. Source: AAP / NSW State Emergency Services

“We do need people to be cautious because what we’re now seeing is whilst the rain has eased in many parts, the floods will now start.”

Armidale and Guyra in New England had unprecedented snowfall and SES crews responded to more than 100 trapped cars.

Wild weather is hammering both sides of the nation as rescuers continue searching for a woman swept away in floodwaters. Source: AAP / AAP Image / Flavio Brancaleone

Nearly 20,000 homes were left without power in Perth on Sunday as storms swept through the city.