Australia’s east and north coasts are bracing for severe thunderstorms and heavy rain that is set to bring dangerous flash flooding.
The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe thunderstorm warning for heavy rainfall for much of New South Wales at 7pm on Wednesday night.
Forecasters warned the storms would produce ‘heavy, locally intense rainfall that may lead to dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding’.
Affected areas spread from Sydney to Dubbo, Canberra and even up to Moree and Tamworth, including Gosford, Wollongong, Nowra, Armidale, Orange and Deniliquin.
The storms come after days of wild weather across much of southern Queensland and northern NSW, which famous beaches including Byron Bay’s main beach totally wiped out.
Tumbulgum resident Gavin Mcgahey rides through a flooded street with his huskies Max and Sienna in northern NSW on Tuesday. The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe thunderstorm warning for heavy rainfall for much of New South Wales at 7pm on Wednesday night
Forecast rain for Wednesday night on the east coast of Australia, which will see 30mm fall in some areas
There are moderate flood warnings for the Tweed River, the Wilsons River and the Orara River.
A warning has also been issued for the Richmond River in NSW and minor flood warnings for the Clarence and Bellinger rivers.
Sydney currently has a 70 per cent chance of rain and the chance of a thunderstorm on Wednesday night with east to northeasterly winds of 5 to 25 km/h forecast.
There is a 60 per cent chance of up to 8mm of rain and possible storms on Thursday with a maximum temperature of 29C.
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The temperature is expected to rise to 31C on Friday, as is the chance of rain with a 90 per cent chance of rainfall of 8 to 20mm forecast.
Showers are expected to expected to ease with just 1mm of rain predicted on Saturday and 3mm on Sunday, with the temperature dropping to the mid 20s.
Canberra is also included in the severe weather warning and has an 80 per cent chance of rain and chance of a thunderstorm on Wednesday night.
There is a 60 per cent chance of 3 to 20mm of rain and a maximum of 30C on Thursday, which is expected to ease of on Friday going into the weekend.
A hatchback Honda fell victim to flood water in Lismore, NSW on Tuesday
Gosford, Sydney, Wollongong, Nowra, Armidale, Orange, Canberra, Goulburn, Tamworth, Moree, Dubbo, Wagga Wagga and Deniliquin in NSW have all been issued severe weather warnings
Meanwhile, torrential rainfall is currently falling over northern Kakadu and the Cobourg Peninsula in the Northern Territory, which is currently in its wet season.
There is also a severe thunderstorm warning for heavy rainfall for people in parts of Arnhem district in the Northern Territory as of Wednesday night.
Darwin will be showered with 8 to 40mm of rain on Thursday with a maximum of 31C, which is expected to increase to up to 60mm by Saturday.
BoM Meteorologist Claire Yeo said ‘the arrival of the monsoon trough on Thursday will bring an increase in shower and thunderstorm activity across the Top End’.
‘From Thursday, the monsoon trough is expected to develop over the north coast of the Top End, bringing an increase in shower and storm activity in the eastern districts from Thursday and moving into the western Top End from Friday and Saturday,’ she said.
‘The arrival of the monsoon will lead to widespread rainfall totals over three days of 50 to 100mm across inland parts of the Top End and 200 to 300mm in coastal areas.
‘As the monsoon trough activates, it does introduce a risk of cyclones for northern Australia and we will be monitoring this over the coming days.’
Beachgoers walk amongst beach foam in the wake of cyclonic conditions at Currumbin Beach on Tuesday
Tweed local Preston Duggan, 11, plays in the foam at Froggies beach in Coolangatta on Tuesday
Melbourne is currently humid at 20C on Wednesday night but there is an 80 per cent chance of showers of up to 10mm on Thursday.
There is also a chance of a thunderstorm in the afternoon and evening, possibly severe, although this is expected to ease off into a morning drizzle and a shower or two on Friday.
This will give way to partly cloudy skies and a maximum of 20C over the weekend.
Further south in Hobart, up to 20mm rain will be dumped on the Tasmanian capital on Thursday with a maximum temperature of 18C.
Showers will ease on Friday and a shower or two is expected for the weekend with a maximum of 19C on Friday, 17C on Saturday and 20C on Sunday.
Holiday meccas like the Sunshine Coast, Byron Bay and the New South Wales north coast have been washed out (pictured, Byron Bay on Tuesday)
Byron Bay’s famous coastline has eroded, as seen in these shocking drone images taken on Tuesday
Brisbane is forecast for a possible morning storm and showers on Thursday with a minimum of 24C and maximum of 28C.
The mercury will jump to 30C on Friday with a shower or two forecast before partly cloudy weather will see the temperature increase to 31C on Saturday.
On the west coast, Perth is forecast for sunny skies and a maximum of 31C on Thursday, which will gradually creep up to 34C on Saturday and 35C on Sunday.
Meanwhile on the south coast, Adelaide will have a maximum of 23C and cloudy skies on Thursday.
Clouds are expected to clear on Friday with the temperature increasing to 25C on Saturday and sunny skies forecast throughout the weekend.
