Urgent flood warning issued for Australia’s east coast as a ‘tornadic supercell’ storm system bears down bring huge hailstones and a massive rain bomb – here are the areas most at risk
Australia’s east coast is getting ready to batten down the hatches with more wild weather on the way, including torrential rain, hail and flooding.
Heavy rainfall thunderstorms are forecast across along the east coast from southern Queensland New South Wales, Victoria and right down to Tasmania on Thursday night as part of a ‘tornadic supercell’ system.
The Bureau of Meteorology has warned the wild weather will stick around to continuing over the weekend, leading to renewed and prolonged flooding.
Thursday’s wild weather has caused chaos in Sydney, where the ceiling of Coles supermarket at North Sydney on the lower north shore has collapsed on a day the city recorded its wettest year on record.
It comes as towns in the north-west of Victoria are at risk of a ‘tornadic supercell’ system.
Murray River towns Echuca, Swan Hill and Mildura are at risk and the dangerous weather system could also extend into southern NSW.
‘There is the risk of tornadic supercells, that means large hailstones, damaging wind gusts and isolated heavy rainfall,’ Sky News meteorologist Alison Osborne said.
‘That storm threat will rapidly ease into the early hours of (Friday) morning. It becomes less intense but more broad.’
Multiple flood watches have been issued inland and central coastal regions of NSW.
‘From late Friday, the more intense system will bring widespread heavy rain over NSW, in particular the eastern half, including the western slope and ranges and the central and southern coast.
Renewed river rises and the possibility of flooding is expected with the rain. The Northern Rivers are not expected to be affected by river rises.
A severe weather warning for damaging winds remains current for parts of north-west Tasmania.
Rain is expected to ease for most major cities by mid next week.
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