Weather News

Winter storms thrash TAS

Tristan Meyers, Friday July 22, 2016 - 12:35 AEST

Severe weather has lashed Tasmania overnight, impacting some areas still in recovery from floods, with more wild weather on the way.

As a low pressure trough moved over the state last night, a squall line of storms fired up, illuminating the winter night's sky with over 4500 strikes within a 200 kilometre radius of Wynyard. Rainfall also came thick and fast; 6mm was recorded at Devonport Airport in just 10 minutes. To 9am this morning, 38.8mm fell at Sheffield, 32.4mm at Scottsdale and 29.6mm at Launceston.

The low associated with the trough is passing to the south of the state today, bringing a prolonged period of gusty and damaging westerly winds. Early this morning, a 126 km/h gust was recorded at Maatsuyker Island, whilst Mount Wellington saw a gust of 94 km/h.

A severe weather warning for damaging winds is current for most of TAS, although winds should ease this afternoon and evening as they shift southwesterly in the wake of another cold front. This will also result in rain areas shifting to western parts of the Apple Isle. Overnight and into Saturday, snow could fall as low as 200m in these areas.

This is the first in a series of cold fronts that will impact southeastern Australia this week, with Tasmania copping the brunt of these systems. The next is due to arrive on Monday, with an even stronger system later Monday night or Tuesday morning. The latter system is a significant risk to bring more severe weather, including damaging winds and heavy rainfall, particularly in western and northern parts.

Although winds will be persistently strong in western parts of TAS more the majority of the next week, the worst of it should be over by later on Tuesday and into Wednesday, although there will still be occasional showers generally confined to the western coasts and ranges.

- Weatherzone

© Weatherzone 2016

Enter a postcode or town name for local weather, or text to search the site. » advanced search

Weather News

» all stories

Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro surf forecast

07:00 AEST After an emotional mid-year cut at the Margaret River Pro surf competition in Western Australia last week, surfers that fell below the cut line, along with up-and-coming talent, will be battling it out on the Gold Coast from this weekend onwards. The first stop on the Challenger Series (the lesser format of the Championship Tour) will take place along the Gold Coast’s premier surf point breaks, starting this morning and running to Saturday May 4th.