Days of severe storms, flood risks across Australia
Flood warnings have been issued for multiple states and territories as a days-long big wet is forecast to dump hundreds of millimetres of rain.
Source: Bureau of Meteorology
Communities could be cut off and large parts of Australia disrupted by severe thunderstorms forecast to dump hundreds of millimetres of rain – but the big wet is not all bad news.
A low-pressure system sitting over central Australia is brewing a significant amount of rain expected to last into the middle of the week, the Bureau of Meteorology has warned.
Possible severe thunderstorms were forecast for all states and territories on Sunday, with eastern parts of South Australia, western parts of NSW and Queensland’s tropical north at higher risk.
More than 50 millimetres of rain fell on the South Australian coastal city of Port Augusta, a welcome change after a hot and dry summer, meteorologist Sarah Scully said.
Six-hourly rainfall totals in the Northern Territory were expected to be as high as 120 millimetres.
Scully said the heaviest rainfall totals of 150-300 millimetres by Wednesday were expected throughout central Australia, South Australia’s border district, Queensland and NSW.
A “bull’s eye” around central Melbourne, with possible falls of more than 75 millimetres, could potentially put out fires burning in Victoria, she said.
Severe thunderstorms and heavy rain are likely in central parts of Australia and north-west NSW on Monday, with flood warnings in place from northern Australia to northern parts of South Australia, extending into Queensland.
Scully said it could create hazardous driving conditions that would disrupt travel as roads were cut off, potentially isolating communities.
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“Agricultural impacts throughout central Australia include the threat to livestock and cattle,” she said.
“Further south, the agricultural impacts are actually positive, where there’s been a lot of people that have been desperate for good rainfall.”
The low-pressure system will continue to dig into south-east Australia on Tuesday, bringing severe thunderstorms to central and eastern Victoria, including Melbourne, and western parts of NSW.
Eastern Victoria and NSW are expected to face the bulk of the showers and storms on Wednesday, as the trough finally skirts into the Tasman Sea.
-with AAP
