Weather News

Wild end to September looms

Ben Domensino, Monday September 26, 2016 - 14:03 AEST

It has been already a big month of weather across southern and eastern Australia, although the worst is yet to come for some areas.

A complex low pressure system and cold front will cause heavy rain, severe thunderstorms, destructive winds and heavy snow in multiple states later in the week. It is likely to be one of the biggest weather systems we have seen so far this year.

Showers and thunderstorms will first develop over the Southwest Land Division of Western Australia on Tuesday, including Perth.

While showers and storms will affect the nation's southwest on Tuesday, the most intense weather will occur between Wednesday to Friday as the front and low deepen while moving east.

On Wednesday, rain and thunderstorms will develop over central and southern Australia before spreading over western parts of Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland during the afternoon and evening. Some of these storms will produce damaging winds and bursts of heavy rain. The front and low will also drive a strong westerly change across South Australia, which will reach Adelaide during the afternoon. Damaging winds are also likely near and behind this change, independent of storms.

On Thursday and Friday, the system's impact will be widespread and could involve severe weather across six states and territories.

The front will surge east on Thursday, causing a broad band of rain and thunderstorms to sweep across Queensland, New South Wales, the ACT and Victoria. Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne could all see rain and storms on Thursday. The front will clear off the east coast in the evening, taking with it the initial round of rain and storms.

Behind the front, the intense low will maintain rain, storms and damaging winds across South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and southern New South Wales during Thursday and Friday. The strongest winds will be to the north and west of the low as it slams into South Australia's coastline on Thursday.

The low should move into the Tasman on Saturday allowing calmer weather to return on the weekend.

A very cold pool of air moving north from Antarctica is responsible for this volatile system. The frigid air will also help produce a hefty late-season snowfall, with the alps possibly in line for 30cm or more between Thursday and Saturday.

This system will have a number of implications across multiple states including:
- Wind gusts will be capable of causing widespread structural damage and power outages
- Thunderstorms will generate tens of thousands of lightning strikes across a three day period
- Rain will fall into already inundated rivers and could cause further flooding
- Storms may cause flash flooding and damaging winds
- Australia's alpine region will receive an impressive late-season dump of snow

- Weatherzone

© Weatherzone 2016

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