Millions in the Danger Zone of Wild Weather
Millions of Australians along the east coast are preparing for potentially severe storms and heavy rainfall this weekend following a turbulent start to the storm season.
Storm Threats Across Major Cities
Late thunderstorms and strong winds may affect Sydney on Friday and Saturday evenings, after warm daytime temperatures. Jonathon Howe, a forecaster from the Bureau of Meteorology, explained that southeastern Australia faces several “unsettled days” due to an advancing cold front.
“Today (Friday) we are looking at the possibility of thunderstorms all the way from southern Victoria across to South Australia and up into northern parts of NSW,” he said.
Northern Victoria and northwestern New South Wales should also prepare for damaging wind gusts on Friday afternoon, according to Howe. Thunderstorms may also hit Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra, and Sydney.
Severe Weather in Inland Regions
“Severe thunderstorms are possible through the day for the northwestern slopes of NSW, into southern inland Queensland and a large swath across Central Australia,” he said. “For these areas, we could see damaging wind gusts with thunderstorms as we head into Saturday.”
Additionally, heavy rain, damaging winds, and large hailstones are possible from Wollongong to Sydney, Newcastle, the Hunter Region, Mid North Coast, and parts of inland Queensland.
Summary
The upcoming days will bring persistent storms and adverse weather conditions across eastern and southeastern Australia, requiring communities to remain alert and prepared.