Heavy rain and thunderstorms are set to impact eastern New South Wales (NSW) and south-east Queensland starting Thursday, following a weather system that recently dumped a month’s worth of rain on Victoria in just 24 hours.
Severe weather warnings for Victoria and NSW were lifted on Tuesday as the system weakened and moved north along Australia’s east coast.
However, new thunderstorms are forecast for south-east Queensland and north-east NSW on Thursday, with heavy rainfall expected to continue into Friday and Saturday, affecting coastal NSW and eastern Victoria.
Sydney could receive up to 70mm of rain on Friday, with some eastern NSW areas potentially getting up to 150mm. WaterNSW is monitoring Warragamba Dam, which supplies about 80% of Sydney’s water and was 96% full as of Tuesday. The dam last spilled in late 2022.
Victoria’s emergency services handle over 500 help requests amid ongoing thunderstorms and flooding.Despite the heavy rainfall, the Bureau of Meteorology’s Dean Narramore predicts that flooding will likely be limited due to the dry conditions over the past two months. He noted that while flash flooding could occur, major flooding is not expected.
Melbourne, which experienced its wettest day since March 2020 on Monday with 53mm of rain, should see easing showers by Wednesday evening. The city had its driest March on record last month with just 2.8mm of rain.
Central Victoria, particularly Trentham East, saw 97mm of rain since Monday morning, the highest in the state. Victoria’s emergency services handled over 500 requests for help due to storms and flooding, including numerous reports of building damage and fallen trees.
On Monday night, lightning caused a 40-minute delay in an AFL match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and the Stawell Gift finals were postponed due to heavy rain.
As the weather system moves north, it might redevelop into a low-pressure system in Queensland. This could lead to a coastal low with damaging rainfall, strong winds, and high seas. A separate tropical low may form north of Western Australia later this week, with the potential to develop into a cyclone.