Rain, Thunderstorms, Flash Flooding & Wild Winds Lash East Coast Of Australia

Residents across the east coast of Australia have been urged to be prepared for severe weather and flooding.

The weather Bureau have forecast heavy rain and thunderstorms throughout the remainder of the week, with potential flooding across parts of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.

Stay up-to-date on the latest news with The Melbourne Briefing - keeping you in the loop with breaking news as it hits.

Bureau of Meteorology Hazard Preparedness and Response East Manager Jane Golding said the main areas of concern ranged from Queensland down through to Victoria and included river catchments close to the NSW-Queensland border and along the western slopes in New South Wales.

"Heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected to set in from Wednesday and continue into the weekend, so we're urging people to prepare now," she said. 

“Many areas in eastern Australia will see significant rainfall, and some locations in New South Wales and Queensland are likely to see daily rainfall totals of 150 millimetres or higher.

"This kind of heavy rainfall over a short period of time can cause dangerous flash flooding and combined with the fact that many river catchments down the east coast are already quite wet, there is a very real risk that we may see some rivers flood too,” Ms Golding warned.

"Please make sure you're staying up to date with current forecasts and warnings and be careful when you are out and about this week."

Some areas of New South Wales are forecast to receive more than a month's worth of rain over the next three days.

While western Queensland is expected to see three times their November average rainfall in the coming days.

Some gusty south-easterly winds are also expected in Victoria, particularly across southern and mountain areas.

An unusual wind direction, combination with the wet ground, will likely see trees and powerlines bought down across the southern state, along with minor property damage. 

"That's why we're warning people early to be prepared for this severe weather system. We want people to ‘know your weather, know your risk’, have the most up-to-date information, and be factoring our forecasts and warnings into their daily planning."

- Jane Golding

Current warnings can be found on the Bureau's website here, as well as on the BOM Weather App.

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