Australia’s east coast is bracing for thunderstorms and heavy rain this weekend, with flood warnings already in place due to a week of persistent rainfall. The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has forecasted continued wet conditions, with an inland heatwave expected to spread across much of the country by the end of the week.
Senior meteorologist Sarah Scully reported that Gippsland in Victoria will experience ongoing rain on Saturday, heightening flood risks.
Flash flooding has plagued the region, leading to major flood watches for the Avon and Thompson Rivers, and moderate flood warnings for the Macalister, Mitchell, and Snowy Rivers.
Severe thunderstorms may bring heavy rain, damaging winds, and large hail this weekend.Four other river systems in Victoria also have minor flood warnings. Some small communities in Gippsland may be isolated over the weekend due to floodwaters, though they are not anticipated to face severe flooding.
A separate thunderstorm event is anticipated on Saturday, potentially impacting southern interior and eastern New South Wales, as well as northern and northeastern Victoria.
Severe storms could bring heavy rainfall, damaging winds, and large hail to eastern Victoria and southeastern NSW. Rainfall in some parts of Victoria could reach 100mm over the weekend.
By Sunday morning, heavy showers are expected to shift to far east Gippsland and the New South Wales south coast, where recent rains have exceeded 200mm in some areas, leading to moderate flood warnings for the Snowy and Buchan rivers. Severe thunderstorms are also developing in Illawarra, with risks of damaging winds, large hail, and flash flooding.
The NSW SES has handled over 1,500 incidents related to the storms, while Victoria’s state emergency service has managed 59 requests for assistance in the past 24 hours.
Power outages in Queensland have affected more than 3,500 residents, primarily in the Sunshine Coast. From Monday, a heatwave will begin in central Australia, spreading across the continent by week’s end.