BOM issues weather alert as 100kph winds set to cause chaos for millions within hours

Yahoo

a day ago

Wild weather is rolling in across large parts of the country, bringing a volatile mix of heavy rain, frosty conditions, gale-force winds and rising flood risks.
A powerful system brewing off the East Coast is set to make its presence known from Tuesday, with millions in its path. From coastal gusts to drenching downpours and rivers on flood watch, the midweek forecast is looking messy — and for some, potentially dangerous, the Bureau of Meteorology's Senior Forecaster Angus Hines told Yahoo News.
Here's what's coming, state by state.
A dangerous low-pressure system forming off the east coast is set to unleash widespread heavy rain and strong winds across New South Wales from Tuesday, with the heaviest weather expected on Tuesday and Wednesday.
"We're going to see rainfall spread down through the Mid North Coast, the Hunter region, down through Sydney, into the Illawarra," Hines said.
Rainfall totals of 50 to 150mm are expected across a large stretch from Port Macquarie to the Victorian border, with some locations tipped to exceed 200mm.
"That's enough rain over the course of a couple of days to cause our rivers to start to rise," Hine said. "We've got some rivers on watch already for potential flooding… including up in the Hawkesbury–Nepean Valley and around the Sydney metro area as well as through the Illawarra coast around Wollongong."
Flash flooding is also possible, and strong to damaging winds are forecast. "We could be talking 90 or 100 kilometres per hour gusts through our coastal parts, including again across Sydney, the Hunter, Newcastle, and Wollongong.
"Those winds are certainly strong enough to cause a bit of damage to branches and trees, maybe blow around a few things in the yard, trampolines, fences, the yard roof panel ... and it could cause some power outages as well. It's a nasty stretch of weather ahead for the east coast of the country."
Conditions are expected to ease late Thursday, with clearer skies returning Friday.
Eastern Victoria will also be affected as the system tracks south across the border midweek.
"Tuesday and Wednesday will be the two biggest days for wet weather across the east of the country," Hines said, noting the system's reach will extend into eastern parts of Victoria.
Rainfall totals of 50 to 150mm are expected in affected areas, with higher isolated totals possible. The heaviest rain will likely fall on Wednesday and into Thursday morning, before easing as the system clears offshore later Thursday.
After some decent falls around the Gold Coast and North Stradbroke Island overnight Sunday into Monday, southeast Queensland is expected to dry out as the week goes on.
"That's actually on the way out today,' Hines said Monday. 'A little bit more rain through this morning, maybe into this afternoon, but by tonight, the bulk of that rainfall has all gone and shifted down into NSW".
The rest of the state, particularly northern Queensland, will experience settled and dry conditions for most of the week.
South Australia is set for a cool and mostly dry week. Adelaide can expect mostly sunny to partly cloudy conditions with temperatures ranging from 13C to 16C. A slight chance of showers is forecast for Friday and Saturday, with possible rainfall between 0 to 9mm.
WA escapes the east coast chaos, but two weak winter fronts are set to brush past Perth this week.
"The first of which will arrive this afternoon," Hines said. "It's not a particularly powerful weather system — just a sort of brief line of showers… and maybe a push of some stronger and slightly cooler winds."
A second front is due late Wednesday night into Thursday morning, bringing another round of showers and a brief wind change. "Neither of them is particularly strong," Hines said.
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Tasmania will largely avoid the worst of the east coast system, though rain is forecast for the northeast.
"There'll be a little bit of rain across the east and north of the state," Hines said. "That's likely to begin overnight Tuesday into Wednesday morning."
Rain may fall through much of the day on Wednesday, with 30 to 50mm possible in the northeast. Hobart and the south will see "a few showers" but nothing substantial.
"Thursday is when that all clears up," Hines said.
The Northern Territory continues to experience dry and breezy conditions. A high-pressure system moving south of the Bight is directing a dry and relatively cool southeasterly flow over the Territory, maintaining moderate to fresh winds until midweek.
Darwin can expect sunny to partly cloudy skies with temperatures around 31C and a minimal chance of rain throughout the week.
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