Weather Australia: Huge thunderstorms hit east coast: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth

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A massive cleanup is underway after massive thunderstorms hit the east coast of Australia overnight causing flash floods, huge hailstones and power outages.

Large parts of New South Wales on Tuesday night were struck with an estimated 30,000 lightning strikes that struck areas from the Hunter Valley to Sydney, the south coast and Illawarra.

Spectacular dash cam video shows the moment massive lightning struck near cars on a busy street near Narellan in western Sydney.

Hundreds more photos and clips also flooded social media as the night wore on.

But forecasts suggest Australia Day will remain warm and sunny through the public holiday.

Spectacular dash cam video shows the moment massive lightning struck near cars on a busy street near Narellan in western Sydney.

Wild weather also hit Victoria with state emergency services responding to hundreds of outstanding calls for help, with 116 requests in Geelong alone.

Melbourne was also severely affected, with more than 6,000 Victorians without power.

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology said “moist and unsettled air” triggered the thunderstorms in the coastal area.

With the storm front came strong winds at Shellharbour Airport, 115 km south of Sydney, which registered a gust of 93 km/h at 21:30.

Elsewhere NSW, Kempsey, Gosford, Cessnock, Penrith, Parramatta and Kulnura all faced very heavy downpours.

Western Sydney and the Southern Highlands were also among the hardest-hit regions, as strong winds, rain and hail ripped through suburbs and cities.

Pictured: Massive lightning strikes over Sydney’s iconic Harbor Bridge

Pictured: A wild weather map shows how much rain hit Sydney overnight

What to do in a storm?

  • Move your car under cover or away from trees.
  • Secure or store loose items around your home, patio, and balcony.
  • Stay at least 8 meters away from downed power lines or objects that may be energized, such as fences.
  • Report downed power lines to Ausgrid (131 388), Endeavor Energy (131 003), Essential Energy (132 080) or Evoenergy (131 093) as shown on your power bill.
  • Stay away from streams and storm drains.
  • Do not walk, bike, or drive through floodwaters.
  • If you are trapped by a flash flood, seek shelter in the highest available place and call 000 if you need help.
  • Unplug computers and appliances.
  • Avoid using the phone during the storm.
  • Stay indoors away from windows and keep children and pets indoors as well.
  • For emergency help in case of floods and storms, call SES (NSW and ACT) on 132 500. In Victoria, storms hit the Bellarine Peninsula around 2:15 PM. .

The Camden area of ​​south-west Sydney was swept by a storm shortly after 8pm, with heavy rain turning streets into rivers and blanketing green areas with hail.

Some suburbs reportedly received hail the size of golf balls.

NSW SES had around 50 calls, mainly due to roof leaks due to rain.

An SES unit was called to Cox Avenue in Kingswood after receiving reports that a car was trapped in floodwaters.

“By the time the unit got there, there were a couple of other cars that had gotten into the same floodwaters,” an SES spokesperson said.

Everyone who was in the floods came out and is safe.

Earlier in the day, Sydney and the surrounding areas had been mild and sunny and were predicted to return to those conditions by Australia Day.

In Victoria, storms hit the Bellarine Peninsula around 2:15 p.m. Tuesday, bringing strong winds and heavy downpours that had already drenched the west of the state.

Mount Glibrant, some 67 kilometers west of Geelong, received 29mm of rain in 30 minutes.

As the thunderstorms passed to the east, Melbourne was hit by the deluge around 5pm

Parts of the city were affected by heavy rain and damaging winds, while locals reported strong lightning throughout the afternoon.

Montrose, in the east of the city, had 23mm of rain in 30 minutes.

The BoM said a depression and a “warm, humid and unstable atmosphere” were behind the thunderstorms raging in the region.

Storms in Victoria brought strong winds and heavy downpours (pictured) to many areas

Accumulated hail at Stonecutters Ridge Golf Club in Western Sydney

More than 6,000 Victorians lost power due to rain that caused widespread blackouts.

State emergency services advised people in storm-affected areas to stay indoors and away from windows, avoid travel if possible and avoid dangerous hazards like flooding, downed trees and power lines.

BoM said Wednesday is expected to be partly cloudy with a high of 28 degrees for both Melbourne and Geelong.

The weather will improve in most places in time for Australia Day, with Perth peaking at 31, Adelaide hitting 29, Sydney, Canberra and Darwin hitting 32 and Brisbane seeing 33.

However, on Thursday it will be colder in Melbourne and Hobart, with temperatures peaking at 22 and 21 respectively.

A Met Office map (pictured) shows the extent of the storms that battered the New South Wales coast on Tuesday.

THE WEATHER IN YOUR CAPITAL CITY FROM WEDNESDAY TO FRIDAY

CANBERRA

Wednesday: Partly cloudy. Min. 12 – Max. 30.

Thursday: Partly cloudy. Possible storm. Min. 13 – Max. 32.

Friday: Cloudy. Possible storm. Min 13- Max 29.

SYDNEY

Wednesday: Partly cloudy. Min. 20 – Max. 29.

Thursday: Partly cloudy. Min. 21 – Max. 32.

Friday: shower or two. Min. 21 – Max. 27.

darwin

Wednesday: Showers. Possible storm. Min. 25 – Max. 31.

Thursday: Shower or two. Possible storm. Possible storm. Min. 25 – Max. 32.

Friday: Shower or two. Possible storm. Min. 25 – Max. 33.

BRISBANE

Wednesday: Partly cloudy. Min. 22 – Max. 32.

Thursday: Mostly sunny. Min. 23 – Max. 33.

Friday: Partly cloudy. Min. 23 – Max. 33.

MELBOURNE

Wednesday: Partly cloudy. Min. 17 – Max. 28.

Thursday: Partly cloudy. Min. 16 – Max. 22.

Friday: Sunny. Min 13 – Max 27.

ADELAIDE

Wednesday: Sunny. Min. 14 – Max. 27.

Thursday: Mostly sunny. Min 15 – Max 29.

Friday: Sunny. Min. 16 – Max. 37.

PERTH

Wednesday: Sunny. Min. 17 – Max. 31.

Thursday: Sunny. Min. 17 – Max. 31.

Friday: Partly cloudy. Min. 17 – Max. 25.

HOBART

Wednesday: Partly cloudy. Min. 15 – Max. 26.

Thursday: Partly cloudy. Min 15 – Max 21.

Friday: Partly cloudy. Min. 12 – Max. 26.

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