Millions of Australians are bracing for wild weather with heavy rain and thunderstorms set to devastate large parts of the country.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued ‘several’ days of severe thunderstorm warnings for parts of northern and eastern Australia, which will continue over the next week, bringing large hail, damaging winds and heavy rainfall.
The main areas of concern are northern New South Wales and southeastern Queensland, where up to 150mm of rain could fall in some areas over the next few days.
Brisbane received a downpour on Tuesday with 33mm of rain in the last 24 hours, with another round of rain expected early next week.
Rainfall charts released by the weather bureau show Friday will be the wettest day, with much of Australia’s Top End and almost the entire 4,000km stretch of the east coast expected to get significant falls.
Melbourne is in for a wet weekend with up to 15mm, a possible thunderstorm on Saturday and another 10mm on Sunday. Adelaide can expect similar conditions.
Sydneysiders should also keep their umbrellas handy this weekend with up to 15mm forecast.
On the other side of the country, Western Australia is sweltering under a potential record-breaking November heatwave.
Australia’s Top End and eastern states will see a dip in the coming days. Pictured graph showing the precipitation forecast for Friday
Those in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide should keep their umbrellas handy this weekend
The mercury will rise above 40 degrees Celsius in Perth on Thursday, with the start of summer still a week away.
Much of Queensland is already in the firing line of an expanding rain band, with parts of the northern Darling Downs receiving 118mm.
A severe thunderstorm warning was issued for the state’s central west on Wednesday due to heavy rainfall that could lead to flash flooding in places such as Longreach and Evesham Station.
“Severe storms are possible across much of the state’s interior and southeast,” the agency said.
‘The main danger is heavy rainfall with possible flash flooding, with the added risk of damaging winds in the north.’
North of the border into NSW, severe storms are possible in the northern interior, which could cause widespread damage through flash flooding, damaging winds and large hail.
Up to 4 inches of rain could fall in the New England area over the next few days, with precipitation doubling in isolated areas.
A trough over the eastern interior will bring rain and storms to the north and over southern Qld on Thursday.
Troughs extending across the north and west will bring rain and storms to the tropics and inland NT.
As millions of people prepare to take cover from rain and storms, Western Australians are getting an early taste of summer with sweltering temperatures
Rain and storms can be expected in inland North Queensland and much of NSW and Victoria over the coming days
“Some areas will receive 80mm to 150mm of rain over the coming days, from north-west Queensland through to the central and eastern parts of the state and into north-west NSW,” Weatherzone meteorologist Felix Levesque told Ny Breaking Australia.
‘The rain will continue until next Wednesday.
“The rest of NSW and parts of Victoria and South Australia will receive 10-30mm over the weekend from Thursday, with conditions easing on Sunday.”
A higher low sitting over South Australia will draw in moisture via northerly winds over the eastern part of the country until Sunday.
The Bureau of Meteorology has warned that some regions will receive a good soaking, while other nearby areas may miss significant rainfall at all.
“They’re going to be variable,” meteorologist Dean Narramore explained.
‘That’s the pattern that will continue all week.
‘Good news for many, except for those harvesting in southern NSW and northern Victoria where heavy rain will be a hindrance.
“Otherwise, other areas will see very welcome rainfall after several very dry months.”
It’s not even summer yet and Western Australia is sweltering with a fierce heat wave
On the other side of the country, much of Western Australia is sweltering in a severe pre-summer heatwave as temperatures soar towards 40 degrees Celsius.
A four-day severe heatwave warning for the central, lower and southwestern districts of Perth and Washington remains in place until Friday, prompting authorities to issue health warnings on how to beat the heat.
The heatwave has caused sleepless nights for many Western Australians, with overnight temperatures remaining in the mid-20s.
Perth could challenge its record low (25.1C) and record maximum (40.4C) on Wednesday, looking like the hottest day, while Thursday could be the hottest morning on record.
‘Maximum temperatures in the high 30s to high 40s and minimum temperatures overnight in the high 20s.
‘Heatwave conditions are expected to increase in intensity over the coming days and extend across the lower west and south-west.’