Wild weather to smash Australia’s east coast this weekend

FORECASTERS are warning residents along Australia’s east coast to prepare for “a very significant weather event” this weekend.

Storm chasers are predicting falls of up to 300mm in some parts of NSW over the next week. Picture: BSCH

FORECASTERS are warning residents along Australia’s east coast of the potential for very dangerous weather conditions from late tomorrow.

Areas from Rockhampton in Queensland all the way down to the NSW/Victorian border have the potential to see over 150mm of rain over the weekend.

Isolated areas could see 250mm plus which could lead to flash flooding.

A surface trough will begin cause areas of heavy rain and storms in central QLD from Friday and rapidly spread south over more populated areas.

Areas of south-east Queensland were hit by wild weather this time last year, leading to the deaths of three people. Picture: Mango Hill Progress Association

QLD Weather bureau senior forecaster Michael Knepp told Weatherzone a trough looked set to bring intense rain and flash-flooding across the region (SE QLD), with the majority of rain happening over a period of 12 hours from about lunchtime on Saturday through to the evening.

“We are looking at a very significant weather event across southeast Queensland - I cannot stress this enough,” he said.

Brisbane residents can expect up to 100mm of rain on Sunday alone.

The NSW mid-north coast one year ago today after similar conditions forecast for this weekend hit. Picture: Frank Redward

Further south the entire NSW coast is likely to cop a drenching, but it’s still uncertain where the worst of the weather will hit.

The NSW Bureau of Meteorology is predicting that areas in the north of the state will see over 200mm of rain on the weekend with slightly lower falls further south.

Sydney is forecast to receive over 100mm, but this could rise depending on the movement of the trough and formation of east coast lows.

Eastern parts of Victoria and Tasmania will also feel the affects of the systems but conditions in these states, at the moment, don’t look to be severe.

Official warnings are expected to be issued as the conditions deteriorate closer to the weekend.

A fflood warning has been put out for the following river valleys from Saturday:

1. Upper Macintyre - minor flooding

2. Gwydir - minor flooding

3. Castlereagh - minor flooding

4. Tweed - minor to moderate flooding

5. Brunswick - minor to moderate flooding

6. Wilsons - moderate flooding

7. Richmond - minor to moderate flooding

8. Clarence including Orara - moderate flooding

9. Coffs Harbour - minor flooding

10. Bellinger and Kalang - minor to moderate flooding

11. Nambucca - minor flooding

12. Macleay - minor flooding

13. Hastings - minor flooding

14. Camden Haven - minor flooding

Records tumbled across the capital cities as a heatwave delivered the hottest March temperatures in more than 30 years. Picture: BOM

Meanwhile, the wild weather comes off the back of the warmest autumn on record.

The mean temperature between March and the end of May hit a fresh high of 23.86C, with records set in Queensland, NSW, Victoria and the Northern Territory.

Thermometers hovered 1.86C above average, the biggest climb above an average seasonal temperature since spring 2014.

Some of the hottest temperatures were recorded during the prolonged heatwave in March, with Mardie in Western Australia’s north hitting a scorching 47C, the Bureau of Meteorology said.

Rainfall totals in QLD and NSW are expected to cause flash flooding this weekend. Picture: Skye Angelica Champney. (file)

Dr Karl Braganza, the bureau’s manager climate monitoring, says a strong El Niño and global warming pushed thermometers to their highest levels for autumn since records began in 1910.

“Everywhere except the southwestern corner of the continent was exceptionally warm,” he told AAP.

But with the El Niño weather pattern now over in the Pacific region and the bureau forecasting a normal winter, after this wild first weekend in the east.