Parkes has almost doubled its long-term rainfall average for December in the first week after an intense storm cell passed over the region on Saturday.

The shire got a good soaking over 24 hours, the Parkes Airport - through its Bureau of Meteorology weather station - recorded 55mm in total with 47 of those millimetres falling over 12 hours.

Between 11.30pm the night prior and 1.30am on Saturday 8mm was measured for Parkes before the real downpours began from about 12pm.

The airport gauge jumped from 14mm to 24.2 in 20 minutes by 4pm, remaining steady until another drenching from 7pm.

Almost 15mm fell in 38 minutes to bring the total at that point to 39, by 8.30pm it was 46.4 and by midnight 47.

The Bureau's total for Parkes for the month so far is 98.6mm, reaching that figure in the first eight days and with only two days with no rain.

The long-term monthly average for all of December is 52.7mm.

As usual though it was a different story in town, with the storm much more intense according to residents, who shared their videos, photos and rainfall data across social media.

While one side of Parkes, in the east, had 18mm just before 4.30pm, the other side in north-west Parkes recorded 32mm in less than 15 minutes, amounting to 77mm in total.

In another location a woman said she had 50mm and more was on the way.

One man said he had 45mm in 20 minutes in Jubilee Street and a woman said she had 52mm the night before.

By 8pm a man in Armstrong Street said he had 91mm including from the night before, another had 87mm and around East Street measured 70mm.

While mini waterfalls and lakes, as locals described it, formed in their yards and paddocks, some even reported water in their homes, garages and sheds.

The deluge quickly turned to flash flooding in and around Parkes, forcing Parkes Shire Council to close a number of key roads and keeping the Parkes SES Unit busy providing aid to those who needed it.

It sure was a show for residents who had received several severe thunderstorm warnings the night before and throughout the afternoon.

The Parkes SES received 22 call-outs, most for trees down on property and homes, and sandbagging requests to combat the flash flooding.

Council also left a few pallets of sandbags for residents outside its depot in Thornbury Street.

Essential Energy crews responded quickly when the storms caused power outages for some customers.

Many of the reported outages were individual premises where the power supply had been interrupted due to storms impacting the electricity network, a total of 32 power interruptions were reported up until lunchtime on Sunday.

The biggest impact, Essential Energy said, was in and around Lorking Street, where 43 customers lost power at 5.10pm on Saturday after lighting struck the electricity network.

"After ensuring it was safe to do so, power was restored to all customers at 6.40pm," an Essential Energy spokesperson said.

"Essential Energy thanks the community for its patience while our teams work to safely restore power and reminds the community to stay at least eight metres away from fallen powerlines, damaged electricity equipment, fires or trees contacting powerlines, and immediately report it to Essential Energy on 13 20 80 or call Triple-0 if the situation is life threatening."

The Hartigan Avenue s-bend and rail crossing outside KFC is famous for going under water every time during heavy downpours, so too is the creek crossing at PAC Park in East Street.

But this time a new bridge, built for this purpose, didn't go under.

The Newell Highway near Maguire Road had to close in both directions on Saturday due to flooding and vehicles had to park at the location because there wasn't any suitable diversion.

"We've now had over 200mm since last Saturday! Our dam keeps overflowing," said Kathy Sondermeyer on social media.

Sunday afternoon the skies were blue and the sun was out but there was still a fair bit of water about, including across some local roads, the SES said.

Thankfully the rain didn't prevent the annual Carols in the Park from going ahead on Sunday evening.

Forbes didn't record as much rain as Parkes out at its airport on Saturday, with just 13.4mm, however more than Parkes was measured the day before with 26.2.

But it also appears in-town was harder-hit than its airport.