Eastern New South Wales, including Sydney, is expected to experience continued heavy rainfall for at least another week due to a large high-pressure system that has stalled over Tasmania, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
Sydney has already recorded 124mm of rain in the first six days of May, surpassing the monthly average of 117mm. The city might also see a new record for consecutive days with at least 1mm of rain, previously set at 16 days.
The high-pressure system has been causing frequent showers and heavier rains along the NSW coast, and it is anticipated to remain in place due to stagnant upper winds that prevent its movement into the Tasman Sea.
Heavy rains to continue along the NSW coast, with more intense falls anticipated this weekend.Rain is expected to persist along the NSW coast throughout the week, with more intense and widespread falls from Thursday to Sunday. Recent days have seen significant rainfall, with over 70mm in Kiama and more than 60mm in Ulladulla.
A pool of cold air over inland NSW has contributed to these heavy falls, and similar conditions may reoccur later in the week. The persistent high-pressure system has also resulted in dry weather in southern Australia, with cities like Melbourne and Adelaide experiencing minimal rainfall recently.
Climate researchers are concerned about the impact of such high-pressure systems on future weather patterns. While it’s challenging to predict how a warming planet will affect these systems, they could become more frequent.
For now, the high-pressure system’s presence is causing significant weather impacts, and ongoing research aims to better understand future rainfall patterns and extreme weather events.