Home / Disasters and Accidents / Eastern Australia Braces for Severe Storms
Eastern Australia Braces for Severe Storms
25 Oct
Summary
- Severe thunderstorms possible across multiple states on Sunday afternoon.
- Eight flood warnings issued for southern Queensland after heavy rain.
- Unusually large storm system driven by a blocking high-pressure pattern.
Large parts of eastern Australia were on high alert for severe thunderstorms on Sunday afternoon, with potential for further storms and flooding into Monday. The Bureau of Meteorology reported that a broad line of storms had already moved through western New South Wales.
Southern Queensland was contending with eight flood warnings after experiencing days of torrential rain. Severe thunderstorms, capable of producing hail, damaging winds, flash flooding, and power outages, were anticipated across a wide area including southern Queensland, western New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, and eastern Victoria.
Wind gusts of up to 100 km/h were recorded in central western New South Wales around midday on Sunday. Meteorologists noted the unusually large scale of this multi-state storm system, attributing it to a blocking high-pressure pattern over the Tasman Sea that had been directing storms towards southern Queensland.
A cooler air front moving from the west on Sunday afternoon was drawing in tropical moisture from the north, bringing storm conditions to central New South Wales and Canberra. Storm activity was expected to persist through Sunday evening and into Monday for northern New South Wales and southern Queensland.
Southern Queensland experienced weather 'whiplash' over the past week, with rainfall in some areas around the Sunshine Coast exceeding their monthly average multiple times, receiving between 200mm and 400mm in the past week. The Mary River downstream of Gympie was forecast to reach major flood levels in Tiaro on Sunday evening into Monday.
The Bureau's long-range forecast for November to January suggests above-average rainfall across most of the country, except the far north. Warmer-than-usual November temperatures are expected for the southern half of the continent.
