Weather News

More than 90% of Australia to get rain

Rob Sharpe, Thursday May 5, 2016 - 14:32 AEST

This Mother's Day weekend will see Mother Nature spread totals of at least 20mm to half of Australia, along with some damaging winds.

Tropical moisture will spread across Australia from the northwest in a deep low pressure trough. This trough will then be enhanced by a low and front in the south, producing dangerous weather.

Rainfall from this event will be widespread above 20mm across the vast majority of northeastern WA, southern NT, northeastern and coastal SA, western, central & northeastern VIC, most of TAS, on and west of the ranges in NSW and across southwest QLD.

This event will be most significant for central Australia, where it has already begun. Rain and storms are currently spreading across the WA Kimberley and Interior and southern NT. Some parts will see over 100mm by the end of the weekend.

Unfortunately all this rain will also come with some dangerous thunderstorms and damaging winds, particularly in the south of the country.

A low pressure system will track close to the coast of SA and VIC and then across TAS from Sunday through to Tuesday morning. In this period, TAS and southern SA and VIC will see powerful winds in the region for 12-24 hours, with damaging wind gusts near 100km/h likely for some regions. Due to the complex nature of the system, it is far too early to distinguish which areas will be the most affected by these gales, so it is important to check the latest forecasts and monitor any severe weather warnings issued.

Severe thunderstorms are also likely to occur this week due to this system, most likely behind the rain band, but ahead of the low pressure system. The greatest risk is likely to be in eastern SA, VIC and southern NSW on Sunday night and into Monday morning. Storms are likely to produce damaging wind gusts above 90km/h and frequent lightning in some areas, possibly as damaging as last weekend's storms in Victoria.

During Tuesday a high pressure ridge should take over, helping provide drier and calmer conditions to most of the nation.

- Weatherzone

© Weatherzone 2016

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A very wet weekend for southeast Qld, northeast NSW

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