Batten down the hatches, Tassie: gusty winds and snow forecast for state

Tasmania, get ready for a real chill! A severe weather warning is active as wild winds are forecast to lash the state, bringing plummeting temperatures and snow to new lows. The forecast.

Wind forecast for Tasmania. Picture: BOM

Batten down the hatches Tasmania, some wild and woolly weather is heading our way for the state as early as this afternoon, with the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) issuing severe weather warnings ahead of the event.

A severe weather warning for damaging winds was issued early on Sunday for a vigorous north-westerly flow over King Island and northeastern parts of the state.

BOM meteorologist Ellie Matthews said for the north coast, King Island and Furneaux Islands, gusts were likely to get up to 100km/h in the early afternoon.

“That’s ahead of a strong cold front that will pass over the state this afternoon and evening,” she said.

BOM's severe weather warning for damaging winds for people in Furneaux Islands and parts of King Island, North East, East Coast, Central North and North West Coast Forecast Districts. Picture: BOM

“With those winds, we are looking at damaging north-westerly winds of 60 to 70km/h, with gusts up to 100km/h throughout the Bass Strait Islands and along that north coast, east of Devonport.

“Then also into parts of the northeast and east coast, we’re looking at the potential force of damaging gusts of around 100km/h possible during this afternoon and during early evening.”

The south of the state is also forecasted for some fresh, gusty winds, only forecast to reach between 60 and 80km/h.

The risk of damaging winds will ease by late evening on Sunday once that cold front clears to the east of Tasmania.

In its wake, much colder south-westerly winds will bring both snow and a drop in temperatures.

“We’ll start to see some snow showers pushing into parts of the west, Central Plateau and far south in particular,” Ms Matthews said.

Snow on kunanyi/Mt Wellington. Picture: Tourism Tasmania/Michael Walters Photography

“During late this evening into Monday morning, we’ll be able to see those snow showers through those parts, getting down as low as 500m but more broadly it will be more 600m as the lowest elevation.

“There is going to be some periods during this week where we might see some of the elevated parts of the western Central Plateau seeing some more snowfall, as we continue in a westerly pattern with some onshore showers and cooler conditions.”

The BOM has issued a Bushwalkers Weather Alert due to the snow in parts of the western forecast district for late Sunday evening and Monday morning.

Major centres will see lower temperatures into the week, with Hobart’s maximum temperature 9 degrees on Monday with a minimum of 5 degrees and 12 degrees maximum on Tuesday and Wednesday. Launceston will reach only a maximum of 11 degrees on Monday and a minimum of one degree, with highs of 12 and 13 degrees on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.

Burnie will reach only 11 degrees on Monday and 12 degrees on Tuesday, while on the other side of the state, St Helens will reach a maximum of 12 degrees on Monday and 13 degrees on Tuesday.

Originally published as Batten down the hatches, Tassie: gusty winds and snow forecast for state