Christmas Day has ended with thunderstorms for many Aussies around the east coast while those in the Top End are bracing for a tropical cyclone.
The Bureau of Meteorology warned of severe thunderstorms for parts of NSW and Queensland on Saturday evening as families wrapped up a day of festivities.
Large hail, damaging winds and heavy rainfall were forecast to lash down on NSW’s Macarthur region and in parts of western Sydney.
The deluge also battered down on central Queensland with flash flooding already occurring in parts of western Brisbane.
The miserable conditions are forecast to only get worse for some states as Christmas comes to an end, with the wet weather set to hang around into Boxing Day.
Christmas Day has ended with thunderstorms for many Aussies around the east coast while those in the Top End are bracing for a tropical cyclone
The Bureau of Meteorology warned of severe thunderstorms for parts of NSW and Queensland for Saturday evening
The BoM warned of a very dangerous thunderstorm forming in Bargo, in NSW’s Macarthur region, south-west of Sydney, with residents urged to look out for large hailstones and damaging winds.
Similar warnings have been given to Picton.
Further up north in Queensland there are major flood warnings for the Bokhara River.
Flash floods already caused havoc in Gap Creek Road in Kenmore Hills, causing the road to close on Saturday afternoon just before 5.30.
Central parts of the state are set to be hit with thunderstorms on Saturday night including Clermont, Charters Towers, Jericho, Natal Downs, Elgin Downs and Alpha.
Meanwhile in the Top End, residents have been warned a cyclone may form in time for Boxing Day.
A severe weather warning was issued for parts of the Northern Territory’s Arnhem district early on Christmas morning.
Forecasters said a monsoon was likely to strengthen across the northern Top End during Saturday as a tropical low deepens near the Tiwi Islands.
The trough was expected to be near the Australian coastline during Saturday, then move inland by evening.
The deluge also battered down on central Queensland with flash flooding already occurring in parts of western Brisbane (pictured a man in floodwaters in February, last year in Sydney)
Severe thunderstorm warnings were given for Picton in NSW on Saturday night
The worry is that the low is likely to strengthen as it moves south and may reach tropical cyclone intensity southwest of Darwin on Sunday.
‘We are expecting the system to briefly develop into a category one system before crossing the coasts around Dundee beach tomorrow afternoon,’ Shenagh Gamble from the Bureau of Meteorology said.
‘This system is bringing a lot of moisture to the Top End and regardless of whether or not it develops into a tropical cyclone, and if it decreases in strength as it crosses the coast.
‘It will still bring heavy rainfall across the Top End over the coming days.’
Flood watches have also been given for Maningrida, Milingimbi, Ramingining, Galiwinku, Warruwi and Gunbalanya.
It’s a different story on the other side of the country with WA suffering through an extreme heatwave.
Perth has a maximum temperature forecast of 44C on Boxing Day and 40C on Monday having already sweated through its hottest Christmas on record.
The mercury soared to 42.9C at Perth Airport at 4pm, smashing the previous Christmas Day high of 42C from 1968.
Severe thunderstorms were also likely for central parts of Queensland on Christmas night
The town of Lancelin, north of Perth, was the hottest area in the state on Saturday, reaching 45C.
Back on the east coast, the ACT is also set to be smashed with thunderstorms on Boxing Day with 15mm of rain expected to fall.
Adelaide will see a warm and sunny rest of the weekend with a top of 25C forecast for Sunday, while Hobart will have a cloudy and chilly day with a high of 21C.
Melbourne will miss the rain but will see a cloudy Boxing day for the start of the Ashes test with tops of 19C.
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk