Latest news with #coldfronts
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane weather: Millions in the firing line as a series of cold fronts bring rain, wind and snow
A series of relentless cold fronts will bring icy temperatures, rain, damaging wind gusts and even snow to Australia's southeast this week. The first in four cold fronts arrived in southwest Western Australia on Sunday and delivered rain and wind gusts of over 120km/hour to the region. Another cold front powered by a low-pressure system will impact South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and NSW from Tuesday. Possible snowfalls between 10cm and 30cm are expected over the alpine regions, particularly in Victoria, with strong winds and rain to impact low-lying regions. 'Strong to damaging winds will be the main impact from this weather front,' the Bureau of Meteorology's Dean Narramore told Daily Mail Australia. The forecaster said residents in coastal and elevated parts of South Australia, Victoria and southern NSW needed to remain vigilant amid powerful wind gusts. 'Those winds will be strong enough to bring down trees and powerlines and may cause property damage,' he said. 'A trampoline may go flying so tie down items.' A stronger cold front is expected to arrive on Wednesday, which will bypass southwestern WA, but directly impact the southeast with cold, windy weather. Snow could fall on Mount Lofty, just 25 minutes' drive from the Adelaide CBD. 'The airmass will likely be cold enough for snow in SA's Flinders Ranges later on Wednesday, should sufficient moisture make it that far north,' Weatherzone said. The heaviest falls of snow will impact the alpine regions in NSW and Victoria where 20cm to 40cm are predicted, with snow falling at elevations as low as 800m. Elevated areas like the NSW Central Tablelands can also expect snowfalls. Areas east of the Great Dividing Range will be spared from the bleakest weather and Sydney should be cool but dry all week. In the north of the country, a high-pressure system is dominating the weather patterns and making way for a clearer, dry week in much of Queensland. Much of the area could be 'completely cloudless' for the week. Sydney Tuesday: Mostly sunny. Min 7C. Max 19C. Wednesday: Mostly sunny. Min 10C. Max 19C. Thursday: Becoming windy. Partly cloudy. Min 9C. Max 18C. Perth Tuesday: Showers. Min 7C. Max 16C. Wednesday: Sunny. Min 6C. Max 18C. Thursday: Sunny. Min 5C. Max 19C. Melbourne Tuesday: Showers increasing. Windy. Min 9C. Max 14C. Wednesday: Shower or two. Min 7C. Max 12C. Thursday: Showers. Min 7C. Max 11C. Hobart Tuesday: Shower or two. Min 5C. Max 14C. Wednesday: Possible shower. Min 6C. Max 12C. Thursday: Shower or two. Min 4C. Max 12C. Canberra Tuesday: Morning frost. Shower or two. Min 0C. Max 13C. Wednesday: Morning frost. Partly cloudy. Min 0C. Max 11C. Thursday: Showers. Min -1C. Max 9C. Brisbane Tuesday: Sunny. Min 9C. Max 22C. Wednesday: Mostly sunny. Min 9C. Max 25C. Thursday: Mostly sunny. Min 13C. Max 23C. Darwin Tuesday: Sunny. Min 21C. Max 32C. Wednesday: Sunny. Min 20C. Max 30C. Thursday: Sunny. Min 19C. Max 31C. Adelaide Tuesday: Cloudy. Very high chance of rain. Min 10C. Max 15C. Wednesday: Cloudy. Very high chance of showers. Min 9C. Max 13C.
ABC News
02-07-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
As winter rain batters some parts of WA, some farms remain parched and 'desperate'
The first month of winter has come and gone, delivering above average rainfall to parts of WA, while leaving some inland farming areas parched and desperate. For Cunderdin farmer Holly Godfrey, it has been a disappointing start to the season. "I think for the year to date, we've had around 50 millimetres, so we're really, really needing a bit of rain," Ms Godfrey said. "The crops are probably a little bit smaller than we'd hoped for at this stage." Patchy germination has made things worse, particularly for her canola. "I just looked at some photos of canola this time last year and it was far more advanced than it is this year." Despite the dry start and grim outlook, Ms Godfrey remains hopeful. "We're in a pretty reliable area here in Cunderdin, so I think the rain will come eventually," she said. Last month, four cold fronts swept over the south west of WA, bringing bursts of cold and wet weather to large parts. The South West district received the bulk of it, with some towns recording higher than average rainfall totals for June. Witchcliffe West topped the charts with 277.8mm, followed by Jarrahwood which picked up more than 200mm and Bunbury at 190mm. The heavy rain extended up the west coast, with Geraldton Airport collecting a decent 135mm. Perth also got a good dose of rainfall across June, but due to the metro rain gauge suffering technical difficulties, the closest estimate to the city's monthly total would be Perth Airport's 153.8mm. But due to those cold fronts weakening quickly and a lack of support from north-west cloud bands, areas further inland that were desperate for a drink missed out. Across the Wheatbelt and Great Southern, most places only received about 50 to 60 per cent of their normal June rainfall. Cunderdin Airport received 26.8mm while York picked up just over 21mm. Ms Godfrey said that was not nearly enough to set crops up for a successful season. "There's a bit of moisture in the ground now which is helping but it just means that the crops are pretty late this year, and the season will probably be a shorter growing season unfortunately," she said. "I think we would have hoped to have had a good 100mm by now, but another 50 to 100mm in the next month would be great." But not all farmers were in the same boat. At Tenterden, 328 kilometres south-east of Perth, Michael Webster's seeding program was progressing well due to early rains and good soil moisture. "We've had a great start to our season so far," he said. "We have had 234mm since January with 64mm over June — so it's still got a way to go, but very, very grateful for what we've had so far." Mr Webster said this season was already tracking better than last. "The canola is particularly good, growth rates have been pretty phenomenal," he said. But he knows other farmers haven't been as fortunate. "You don't have to drive too far for guys who have missed out on a lot of the April, May or June rain," Mr Webster said. "We're in a little bit of a bubble here but it's definitely a different story for a lot of people." York-based agronomist Michael Lamond agreed the season had started well for southern WA, but said crucial follow-up rain had instead been falling further north. "It's only been just enough to keep things ticking over and so we're sort of in quite a desperate need of rain now," he said. "It's also been a very cold winter so far, so the crops have sort of really hit the brakes and they've slowed down, and they're sort of saying look we need a drink." WA's grain growers delivered their third-largest harvest on record last year, following record-breaking seasons in 2021 and 2022. Mr Lamond, who authors the Grain Industry Association of WA's crop report, said for most farmers this season was shaping out to mirror 2023, a colder season that produced only 14.5 million tonnes. "There was that optimism at the start, and now everyone's wondering how things are going to go from now on," he said. "If we don't get rain soon, like essentially next week or the week after, we'll run out of time for the crops to finish in the spring when the heat comes so I'd say it's becoming quite desperate." While a cold front overnight and another on Sunday are expected to deliver some light falls to agricultural areas, the Bureau of Meteorology's forecast shows it won't be answering any prayers. "The fronts are more likely to bring around 10-20mm instead of those upper end type rainfall figures," senior meteorologist Joey Rawson said. The bureau's July outlook suggests farmers may have to wait a little longer. "We can expect less rainfall and warmer conditions than normal," Dr Rawson said. "But hopefully when we get to August, things will turn around, and we'll start seeing wetter conditions, and also more normal temperatures."
ABC News
24-06-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
Bureau of Meteorology predicts snowy Wednesday from Tasmania to central NSW
Snow is forecast to fall in three states and the ACT on Wednesday as a very cold polar air mass surges north across south-east Australia. The snow will follow the passage of powerful cold fronts, which are also delivering much-needed rain, along with small hail and thunderstorms. Along with the icy soaking, the system has triggered multiple warnings for wind and coastal hazards, including a blizzard warning for alpine regions as gales combine with snow to reduce visibility below 200 metres. However, snow won't just be confined to the Australian Alps, thanks to the arrival of a frigid air mass, which just 48 hours ago was located just off the Antarctic coast. The frigid sub-Antarctic air will reach Tasmania and Victoria this afternoon, followed by NSW tonight. This will cause temperatures to plummet, dropping the snow level well below the alpine environment. For Tasmania, snowfalls can be expected above an elevation of about 500m, blanketing much of the mountainous inland, although the only true town above this height is Waratah in the state's north-west. Victoria can also expect a lowering snow level today, and while the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) predicts flakes as low as 600m this afternoon, snow should remain above 700 to 800m in most areas, which exceeds the height of the state's non-alpine towns. However, it's NSW which has larger population centres at a higher altitude — and as the cold air sweeps north, dozens of locations along the Great Dividing Range should be dusted in white. The BOM are forecasting a snow level later tonight from about 700 to 800m on the southern and central NSW ranges (and the ACT). At this elevation, towns with at least 1,000 residents that are likely to see snow include: Predicting the amount of snow that falls is more challenging; however, modelling is suggesting for most areas an accumulation of below 5 centimetres. For alpine areas, though, continuous snowfalls since yesterday are repairing substantial damage to the cover from up to 90 millimetres of rain on Monday night. Snow will continue across the Alps today, bringing the storm total to around 50cm for most major ski resorts. The upside to the vigorous winter storm is parched southern states are receiving another burst of drought relief. An initial front brought moderate totals to southern SA, north-east Victoria and southern NSW — including in the 24 hours to 9am on Tuesday: Showers and the odd storm continued through Tuesday as the second front arrived with another 5 to 15mm falling by sunset across south-east SA and south-west Victoria. The ongoing showery days this June have brought the wettest month in up to two years for parts of Australia's southern coastline — for example, Mount Gambier's this month has received more than 115mm, the city's highest total since June 2023. A wintry mix of showers, storms, and small hail will continue across south-east states today before rapidly easing tonight as the polar air mass moves off the east coast. Winds will also ease by tomorrow, after damaging gusts of 100 kilometres an hour whip parts of the NSW coast and ranges today.
News.com.au
24-06-2025
- Climate
- News.com.au
BOM issues severe weather alert for ‘damaging' winds
Hazardous weather conditions are likely to persist through Tuesday and into Wednesday as parts of the nation brace for strong winds and consecutive cold fronts. The Bureau of Meteorology has issued severe weather warnings in coastal areas of southeastern Australia and adjacent regions further inland, including parts of South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, Northern Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory. BOM meteorologist Angus Hines said conditions were 'very, very busy today' in the southeast. Mr Hines said strong winds would be 'the most significant weather element' in 'many parts of the country'. 'For South Australia we're looking at damaging winds for parts of the Yorke Peninsula around Adelaide, the Mount Lofty Ranges, Kangaroo Island and the southeast,' he said. 'For Victoria it's almost everywhere on and south of the mountain ranges. For Tasmania, just the northeast coast as well as the islands of the Bass Strait. And for NSW and the ACT, the warning area covers most of the mountain ranges.' 'Through these areas, winds could gust above 90km an hour over the next couple of days, potentially in the mountains that could be 110 or 120km an hour. That is exceptionally strong wind, absolutely strong enough to bring down trees and branches.' Mr Hines said strong winds could make for hazardous driving conditions, and urged drivers of at-risk vehicles like motorcycles, camper vans and buses to exercise caution. The BOM also noted a pair of cold fronts would be making their way through the affected regions, mere hours apart, creating chilly conditions. 'This windy weather pattern has two cold fronts. The first one races across Australia on Tuesday, that is rapidly followed up by another one, which follows almost exactly the same path overnight and into Wednesday morning,' he said. 'It's these two weather features back to back, giving us this prolonged spell of unsettled, wintry weather.' Rainfall is expected over the next two days in parts of Northern Victoria and Southern New South Wales; two regions which have been enduring drought conditions since summer. Snowfall may also be seen in parts of New South Wales, and even the Blue Mountains according to BOM meteorologist Miriam Bradbury. 'We're also expecting a very low snow level for tomorrow, down to around 700m (above sea level) or so in the morning,' Ms Bradbury said. 'That means we are likely to see snow about the southern ranges, but we could also see snow reaching the Blue Mountains, the Canberra Hills, even flurries as far north as the Barrington Tops.' The nation's capital is bracing for a particularly chilly Wednesday, with a low of 1C and a top of 8C. Victoria is expected to endure 'strong and gusty winds,' isolated showers and even some hail throughout Wednesday, and southerly winds will keep max temperatures below 15C across most of the state. Parts of northern Tasmania will experience highs of 11C, while Hobart will reach a high of 10C. South Australia's wild weather will mostly recede by tomorrow afternoon, with Adelaide reaching a high of 15C and inland parts of the state reaching highs of 19C. WA is experiencing much milder conditions, with Perth reaching a high of 19C, Esperance reaching a high of 17C and Exmouth hitting a max of 24C. Tropical North Queensland temperatures will climb as high as 29C in Weipa and 28 in Cairns, while Brisbane will hit 23C and Birdsville will reach 19C. Up in the territory, Darwin is expected to reach 32C and Alice Springs will hit 18C. Winds are expected to recede and temperatures are expected to rise again slightly by Wednesday morning in South Australia, and by Wednesday night for coastal areas of New South Wales.
ABC News
20-06-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
Major winter storm to bring gales, rain and snow to southern Australia
A series of three cold fronts will spread an intense burst of wintry weather across southern states during the next five days. The fronts are predicted by modelling to become more powerful than typical early winter systems, and will generate damaging wind gusts, heavy showers, isolated thunderstorms and pockets of small hail. While wind speeds have the potential to exceed warning thresholds, farmers will rejoice with a solid soaking likely from the Western Australian west coast to north-east Victoria. The alpine region will also welcome another dump of snow, which will make 2025 one of the best starts to a ski season this century. The ongoing frontal activity, which was noticeably absent last winter, has laid the platform for the first wetter-than-average month along the majority of Australia's southern coastline since July 2024. The first front in the series already brought showers to the WA west coast on Friday, including over 30 millimetres in Busselton by sunset. Widespread showers will continue across WA today near and behind the front, with up to 20mm likely near the south-west and lower west coasts, and possibly up to 10mm over the wheat belt. As the first front weakens in the Bight on Sunday, a trailing second front will maintain showers along WA's south coast. Front number two will then rapidly cross the South Australian coast on Monday, before sweeping across Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales on Tuesday, bringing widespread showers and the odd storm or two with small hail. Totals by late Tuesday should exceed 20mm in coastal areas exposed to a westerly airstream, including around Adelaide, Mount Gambier and Warrnambool. The final front will then follow on Wednesday across south-east states and generate further heavy showers, storms and small hail. After several days of showery weather, this series of fronts will deliver an average of 20 to 40mm of rain to southern agricultural SA, along with much of southern and mountain Victoria, and the southern slopes and ranges of NSW. For Adelaide, another 32mm will make this June the city's wettest month in two years. Unfortunately, though, repeating the trend from previous fronts, only light rain will reach north-west Victoria, the western Riverina and the SA Murraylands and Riverland. The continued absence of genuine drought relief across areas further inland is the result of fronts not linking with plumes of tropical moisture — which from their origin favour rain in areas further north. Daytime temperatures will climb as much as 5 degrees Celsius above average across south-east states during the coming days, thanks to a mild northerly airstream — a common pattern preceding vigorous fronts. The passage of the fronts will then drop temperatures back to average for winter, with the colder air reaching Adelaide on Monday, Melbourne, Hobart and Canberra on Tuesday, and Sydney by Wednesday. Initially, the unseasonable warm northerlies will lead to rain across the Alps on Monday, but temperatures will quickly fall below freezing on Tuesday. Once the cold air arrives, near continuous snowfall should last around 36 hours, accumulating to around 50 centimetres at major resorts, although Mt Buller may receive slightly less. An additional dump of heavy snow arriving soon after the opening weekend storm will make 2025 one of the best starts to ski season this century. The snow depth by Thursday should challenge previous high late June depths measured in 2000, 2004, 2012 and 2022. In terms of non-alpine snow, Tasmania will be the main beneficiary with snowfalls possible to very low levels on Wednesday below an elevation of 500 metres. A strong westerly airstream is a characteristic attribute of most major winter cold fronts, and this series won't disappoint, bringing strong to gale-force winds over a wide swathe of southern Australia. A warning for damaging gusts has already been issued for southern WA this weekend, and multiple warnings should follow for south-east states into the new week. Winds will strengthen across south-east states through Sunday and Monday ahead of the fronts, which could whip another dust storm across the parched regions of inland SA. For most of SA and Victoria, though, the strongest winds will arrive on Tuesday when maximum speeds reach around 90 kilometres per hour although exposed parts of the coast and ranges could see gusts above 100kph. The fierce winds will also lash NSW on Tuesday, and peak across eastern NSW on Wednesday, again with gusts possibly near 100kph. Winds at this strength often bring down tree branches and can become destructive in heavier showers and storms, a scenario which may lead to isolated power outages. Current modelling indicates calmer weather will return to southern Australia by Thursday.
