‘Major storm outbreak’ to hit four states

In the south and east it’s all about storms and rain, while across the north and west it’s blistering heatwaves.

“We’ve got a major storm outbreak for the southeast states, ex-tropical cyclone Seth will bring heavy rain to southeast Queensland over the next couple of days and a new tropical low -potentially a cyclone – forming across northern Australia into next week,” Sky News Weather meteorologist Tom Saunders said.

The storm epicentre will likely be in and around Victoria, including Melbourne, where warm temperatures and lots of moisture are also making it uncomfortably sticky.

But thunder and lightning are forecast to spread through huge swathes of the east over the coming days.

“We could see supercell storms in the mix over the next few days. And that means not only flash flooding, but damaging winds large hail are also possible,” said Mr Saunders.

Some places could see 100mm of rain over the coming few days.

At play is the remnants of Seth, in the Pacific, with that moisture being drawn down to the southern states where is being churned up by a deep slow moving trough.

Storms for Victoria, Tasmania, NSW, ACT and Qld

Thunderstorm warnings are in place for metropolitan Melbourne on Thursday afternoon.

There could be between 5-15mm today and 10-15mm on Friday with both days peaking at 29C. Nights will also be warm dropping to about 20C.

Conditions should ease going onto the weekend for Melbourne with some showers on Saturday and highs in the mid-twenties.

The weather gets wilder the further inland you go with Albury-Wodonga getting as much as 60mm of rain on Thursday and 80mm on Friday.

Minor to moderate flood warnings are current across the Snowy, Tambo, Mitta Mitta catchments

Rain increasing in Hobart on Thursday leading into a storm on Friday with 10-20mm of rain particularly in the evening. The mercury could spike to 25C in Tasmania’s capital with a low of 17C.

Some patches of rain on Saturday with a high of 17C and then mostly dry on Sunday.

Heavier falls in the north of the island with 35-60mm on Friday in Burnie.

Flood warnings are in place for a number of rivers in Tasmania’s north.

Soggy and stormy in the capital with up to 25mm on Thursday and then 25-35mm on Friday. Canberra could see possibly another 10mm in the gauge as those storms rolls through in the coming days.

Highs will be in the mid-twenties climbing to 29C on Saturday.

Rain in Sydney, Brisbane

Showers on Friday in Sydney and then something of a respite on Friday. But Saturday could be a very wet day with as much as 20mm coming down and the potential for a severe thunderstorm in the evening. It will be much calmer on Sunday however.

Highs sticking around the 30C mark for the coming days, dipping to 26C on Sunday in Sydney. Minimums of around 20C.

Much of NSW may hear a rumble or two of thunder. Dubbo could see days of storm up until Saturday with 35C highs. Tamworth is looking at stormy conditions from Friday to Sunday but the rainfall should be less intense.

It’s less about storms in Brisbane, although there could be some, and more about rain as the effects of ex tropical cyclone Seth continue to make themselves known.

Between Thursday and Friday up to 75mm could fall on Brisbane with 15-50mm on Friday. But the weekend should be drier. Friday will top out at 27C and then almost 30C on Sunday. Temperatures are forecast fall to around 22C at dawn.

The low is centred a touch north however, on the Sunshine Coast and Wide-Burnett regions. Maroochydore, for instance could see as much as 110mm of rain by Saturday.

New tropical cyclone could form

Anther tropical low is swirling up around the waters of Queensland’s far north. That will bring more rain and could form into a cyclone over the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Dry in Cairns until the weekend, then a few spots on Saturday but Sunday could see up to 50mm and potentially even more on Monday. But at the moment how heavy that rainfall is will depend on whether and to what extent that low heads towards the coast.

It’s certainly looking warm on far north Queensland with a high of 34C on Saturday.

A vast heatwave stretches in an arc from north Queensland, through the Top End to Western Australia. Areas around Cairns and Townsville could see an extreme heatwave for the next few days.

Mostly dry in Darwin but afternoon thunderstorms are possible. A high of 34C and lows of 25C.

Very toasty in Perth hitting 38C on Friday, 34C on Saturday and 31C on Sunday before gradually increasing once more. Lows of around 20-23C.

Adelaide will be drama free weatherwise in the coming days with light showers, maximums in the mid twenties and lows of around 15C. Sunday will be hotter touching almost 30C.

Originally published as ‘Major storm outbreak’ to hit four states as new tropical cyclone brews