The east coast of Australia is in for a rainy weekend, with multiple flood warnings issued for interior rivers in New South Wales.
The Bureau of Meteorology predicted that the most rain will fall over NSW on Friday, with Sydney receiving up to 10mm.
The BoM has issued a dozen minor to moderate flood warnings for the weekend throughout the state, with the substantial rain witnessed last week further compounding the danger.
‘For the rest of Friday and into the weekend, a cold front connected with a low pressure system is bringing showers or rain regions to portions of western New South Wales,’ the bureau said.
‘This rainfall may bring minor flooding along inland NSW rivers in the north and central west.’
‘Renewed rises and significant floods are also anticipated along the Macquarie River, which suffered flooding owing to last week’s rains and is now under a flood warning.’
Rainfall in the northwest and central west of NSW is expected to range between 25 and 55mm.
According to Jordan Otara of the Bureau of Meteorology, increased flooding means that floods aren’t ‘necessarily falling below the minor flood threshold.’ ‘Basically, we’re seeing those peaks being long lived as a result of dam releases and other elements that come into play for how the river levels are behaving,’ he told AAP.
‘It’s slow moving (rainfall), connected with water already on the ground, so it’s more of a protracted flooding event,’ says the meteorologist.
A cold front connected with a complicated low pressure system is to blame for the bad weather that is sweeping over Australia, affecting practically all states.
Thunderstorms are expected in the ACT on Friday afternoon and into Saturday.
Victoria will also have severe rain, with Melbourne being pounded by rain over the next week, with at least a 90% probability of rain every day until Thursday.
On Thursday, the state was saturated, with the greatest rainfalls recorded in Mount Buffalo, in the state’s alpine zone, with 51.6mm of rain.
Adelaide was expected to get up to 10mm of rain on Friday, with the weather continuing into next week.
Tasmania will not be spared the poor weather, with Hobart expected to get up to 45mm of rain on Sunday and 25mm on Monday.
Thunderstorms are expected in southern interior Queensland on Friday afternoon, but the Sunshine State will remain dry and sunny during the week.
Rain will also fall on Western Australia’s west coast on Saturday, with Perth receiving a soaking on Saturday and for many days beginning Monday.