Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane weather: More rain to strike – what you need to know
Australia’s east coast is set to experience its biggest downpour in years, with both Sydney and Brisbane expected to experience a tidal wave.
Heavy rain lashed Victoria overnight thanks to a band of rain moving east from Central Australia.
And a low-pressure system forming later this week could see the rain intensify as the rain band hits Sydney and Brisbane.
“Sydney and Brisbane look wet on Thursday to Saturday, with the heaviest rain likely on Friday.” Weather zone senior meteorologist Brett Dutschke told Daily Mail Australia.
“Sydney could see 50mm to 100mm of rain on Friday alone and some surrounding areas could see upwards of 100mm of rain.”
“Brisbane may see a few thunderstorms on Thursday, with much of the rain also likely to fall on Friday.”
The heavy rain could lead to flash flooding along the east coast, from Victoria to southeast Queensland.
‘Melbourne and surrounding areas received the heaviest rain in more than four years last night, with 90mm falling in the Dandenongs.’
“There may be a few showers in Melbourne today, but heavy rain should be avoided later in the week, but it will be cool with highs around 17 degrees.”
Sydney could be hit by a downpour later this week, with up to 100mm expected to fall on Friday
An aggregated rainfall map for this week shows heavy rain likely in Sydney and Brisbane, while showers will taper off in Melbourne early in the week
A severe weather warning remains in effect for heavy rainfall and damaging winds for much of eastern Victoria, stretching from parts of Melbourne to southern Gippsland and the High Country.
The alert extends across the NSW border to parts of the South West Slopes and Snowy Mountains, with damaging winds and peak gusts of up to 130km/h expected on Tuesday morning.
Nearly 500 calls for help were made to emergency services as Victoria was battered by thunderstorms, damaging winds and heavy rain.
There were almost 250 reports of damage to buildings and 110 food-related incidents across the state in the 24 hours to 7am, the SES said.
About 63 reports related to trees on roads during the wild storm.
A woman in Daylesford in central Victoria narrowly escaped after falling into a storm drain just before 9pm.
She fell down an embankment and was carried through fast-flowing water until she grabbed a metal pole, Victoria Police said.
The 58-year-old tried to call for help, but could not be heard due to the sound of running water.
She was eventually able to escape to safety, with minor cuts and bruises, police said.
Australia experienced the La Niña weather pattern for three years between 2020 and 2022, which brings increased rainfall along the east coast.
A house in Lismore, northern NSW, was engulfed by flames while underwater in 2022
Australia could switch to another La Niña pattern later this year, bringing more rain
A transition to the reverse El Niño pattern occurred in 2023, bringing drier weather, but some long-term forecasts say the pattern could reverse later this year.”
“A transition from El Niño to ENSO neutral is likely in April-June 2024 (83 percent chance), while La Niña is likely to develop in June-August 2024 (62 percent chance),” according to NOAA’s latest diagnosis.
A shift from El Niño to La Niña could increase the risk of flooding along the east coast, with the SES recently saying Western Sydney was the most flood-exposed part of NSW.
According to the NSW Government: ‘The Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley is one of the most complex floodplains in Australia’
‘The unique landscape and large existing population in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley make this part of Western Sydney one of the highest flood risk areas in Australia.’
HOW MARCH WAS VERY WET FOR MOST OF AUSTRALIA
March saw above-average rainfall in many parts of the country, largely due to the influence of active monsoon bursts and weather systems that efficiently drew tropical moisture south through troughs and tropical lows, including Tropical Cyclones Megan and Neville.
In Queensland, cities in the upper half of the state received above-average rainfall, while coastal areas also received more rainfall, although not as much as northern regions.
The Northern Territory received significant rainfall as a result of Tropical Cyclone Megan.
Although New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia observed above-average rainfall in certain areas, other parts of these states experienced below-average rainfall.
Tasmania was the only state with overall below-average wetness in March.