Aussie coastal towns lashed by wild weather
Parts of Australia are bracing themselves for a cold, wet Wednesday after the Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe weather warning for numerous Australian coastal towns.
NSW will cop a drenching with more than 200mm of rain set to fall in some parts of the state prompting flood warnings for Newcastle, the Central Coast and Port Stephens.
NSW SES Deputy Commissioner Greg Newton told the Nine Network the probability of flash flooding is high and urged people to stay away from any floodwaters.
⚠SEVERE WEATHER UPDATE: Very heavy rainfall for central parts of NSW coast. Video current at 4 pm AEDT Tue. 20 March. Check https://t.co/8ZDiUX6fSU for latest warnings; follow advice from @NSWPolice and @NSWSES. #Newcastle #CentralCoast #SydneyWeather #HazardousSurf #NSWFlood pic.twitter.com/j4dzp9mz3c
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) March 20, 2018
“We’ve got very heavy rainfall occurring in the Central Coast, Newcastle, lower Hunter areas and areas just to the north of there. Falls of 100mm overnight in places like Dungog (have been seen) and we’ve already seen some people doing some sandbagging in those areas,” he said.
The news is a little better in the state’s capital with Sydneysiders set to miss the worst of it, with falls of 10-20 millimetres forecast for today and 6-20 millimetres forecast for Thursday.
“A coastal trough is intensifying along central parts of the coast, cradled between two strong high pressure systems,” the BOM’s warning stated.
“This will bring widespread rainfall to Newcastle, Lower Hunter and the Central Coast.
“There is potential for very intense bursts of rain in these areas, creating dangerous conditions.”
Flash flooding is looking highly-likely in certain parts of the state, while gusty winds will create hazardous conditions for anyone crazy enough to jump in the surf.
“We do expect that many places will get their normal monthly rainfall for March in just a couple of days,” bureau meteorologist Adam Morgan said.
Residents are being urged to avoid non-essential travel once the severe weather commences, as well as bringing pets indoors and parking their vehicles under cover.
This drenching comes after parts of the state recorded record-breaking heat in the first month of autumn.
NSW will see the worst of the storm conditions with the forecast for the rest of the country looking like a bit of a mixed bag. Melbourne will be windy with clouds and a max of 23°C, Brisbane will face showers with temperatures pushing 30°C and temperatures in Canberra and Hobart are expected to peak at will top at 18°C.
Further east, Adelaide will see sunny conditions with a top of 26°C, Perth will be warm and cloudy at 36°C and Darwin will see a shower or two, with the possibility of a storm.
A grim reminder that it’s Mother Nature’s planet, and we’re just living on it.
Hero image credit: Sky News