Australia has seen weeks of extreme weather including one-in-300 year floods and catastrophic fires. It’s about to change but the wet weather isn’t far away.
Weatherwise, it’s been a horror few weeks in much of Australia with foods, heatwaves and fires.
The Bureau of Meteorology has said the wet weather that hit South Australia – and took out the main rail and road route to the Northern Territory leading to empty supermarket shelves – was a one in 200 to 300-year flood event.
Meanwhile the last several days have seen bushfires rage across southern Western Australia close to Albany.
But it looks like much of the country could be in for a relatively settled start to the week with the rain easing off and the fire danger retreating.
However, the moisture is set to resume with downpours expected later in the week particularly along the east coast. Sydney and Brisbane could both see rain with up to 10mm falling on the former on Friday.
“The last few weeks it’s been pretty extreme weather across the country,” said Sky News Weather meteorologist Rob Sharpe.
“Thankfully conditions have eased and improved dramatically.”
An area of high pressure is moving across southern Australia and that’s bringing generally clear conditions to South Australia and Victoria. But a low-pressure system is lingering off the east coast.
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Catastrophic fire conditions easing in WA
In Western Australia, catastrophic fire danger remains in the Eucla region, east of Esperance towards the South Australian border. Coastal areas around Esperance and Albany have very high fire danger ratings for Monday and it could be blustery which blazes love. High to severe fire danger is also an issue in inland regions around Kalgoorlie.
“Elsewhere it’s a little bit calmer and it’s becoming calmer still for tomorrow,” Mr Sharpe said.
“Fire conditions are improving noticeably.
“Then it will start to warm up a bit on Wednesday and by Thursday it will be windy and also quite hot in some areas, with fire dangers rising particularly in the central west and into inland parts. But it looks notably better than what we saw on the weekend.
“It’s not going to be as hot or as windy and there a little bit of extra moisture in the air as well.”
A possible shower may fall in Albany on Monday, then followed by settled highs of only around 22C all week, although it could reach 27C on Friday.
There will be a high in Perth of 24C on Monday and then steadily rising with 30C on Wednesday and 36C on Thursday. Lows of 13C on Tuesday and 20C on Friday with no rain to speak of.
Dry in south
It will be a warm start to the week in Adelaide with a high of 33C on Monday. On the weekend it could be a toasty 36C. But between those two peaks the city will be milder with a high of 25C on Wednesday. A minimum of 24C on Tuesday will mean a warm night but the lows will sink to 14C on Friday.
There could also be a storm in Adelaide on Tuesday.
Get set for a pleasant few days ahead in Melbourne with tops around 30C on Monday and Tuesday then, like Adelaide, sinking in the middle of the week with a high of 23C on Thursday before cranking up again for the weekend with a 36C Sunday due. Mid-teen minimums will be the standard this week and there will be very little in the way of rain.
Across Bass Strait, Tasmania is looking relatively calm with only a few showers forecast mainly for the west coast later in the week.
Hobart will bump around the low to mid-twenties but could get to 28C on the weekend. A 15C low on Thursday morning will be typical.
Rain a feature on east coast
It will be warming up in Canberra from a high of 22C on Monday to 30C for Thursday and then back down to 24C on Friday. There is the possibility of a storm on Friday. At dawn the mercury will get down to around 13-15C this week.
“A cool change moving through the south will also bring a touch of wet weather with it and that will help to produce some showers later in the week along the NSW coast,” Mr Sharpe said.
For Sydney, that means the current trend of passing showers will continue for Monday and Tuesday; midweek will see a respite with sunny skies and after that the moisture cranks up.
The back end of the week could see up to 10mm of rain in Sydney and more showers on Saturday.
Highs of 25C for the city for the coming days and then the mercury heads up to 30C and then 31C on Wednesday and Thursday respectively. For Friday and Saturday, it’s back down to 25C. Minimums of 18-20C will be usual this week.
It’s a similar story up and down the NSW coast. West of the ranges, expect it to be drier although a shower on Friday can’t be ruled out for Armidale, Bathurst and Dubbo.
Brisbane is looking at a week of 30C highs and 20C lows. It could also see some rain, most likely on the weekend.
Further north up the coast the week will be settled with 32C maximums in Townsville and only the odd shower.
It will be et and stormy in Darwin with highs of 31C this week and lows of 24C.
Originally published as Dramatic change after weeks of extreme weather
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