NewsBite

UPDATED

Severe thunderstorms bound for Sydney, NSW and parts of Victoria after hail rains down in Canberra

A map from a Victorian Emergency page has revealed the huge amount of people that have called for help as more storms threaten the area.

Sarah McPhee and Ally Foster
6 min read
January 20, 2020 - 6:47PM
Wild thunderstorms to hit multiple states

Severe thunderstorm warnings are still in place for NSW and Victoria, after the Australian Capital Territory was battered by a major hailstorm this afternoon.

A wall of storms are still making their way across Australia’s southeast, with hail and rain beginning to fall in parts of Sydney.

The storms include the potential for “giant” hail in Sydney and “life-threatening” flash flooding over the southern border.

A graphic tweeted by Vic Emergency shows the huge amount of calls for help they had received since yesterday.

Melbourne is bracing for more wild weather this afternoon after being hit with giant hail stones yesterday.

Vic Emergency said more than 1705 requests for assistance have been made since 2pm yesterday, with that number likely to grow over the coming hours.

Intense storms have already caused injuries in NSW, with a 16-year-old boy recovering in hospital after being struck by lightning in the Blue Mountains.

NSW Ambulance were called to the area just after 2pm following reports a boy had been hit by lightning.

Three crews were sent to the scene and treated the boy for lightning strike entry and exit wounds on his arm and feet. He also suffered burn marks to his torso.

Paramedics also treated a 24-year-old man who was leaning against a metal railing at the time of the lightning strike.

Both the boy and the man were transported to Nepean Hospital in stable conditions.

“This is an extraordinary circumstance, being struck by lightning is a terrifying experience,” NSW Ambulance Inspector Greg Marshall said in a statement.

“Considering the circumstances, it was incredibly lucky that they were both in stable conditions when taken to hospital.”

Hail described as “lethal-sized” tore through the ACT after midday on Monday and an outbreak of severe thunderstorms is expected to impact southern NSW.

“They (the storms) are going to ramp up across Victoria as a whole with plenty of areas of rain as well,” Sky News Weather meteorologist Rob Sharpe says.

The worst of the weather for Sydney and Melbourne is expected to hit later today.

VICTORIA

The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast a risk of thunderstorms “across the entire state” today including heavy rainfall and the possibility of severe storms in Melbourne this afternoon.

Wild weather lashed the capital city yesterday including hail that sounded “like a pinball machine” and heaving rainfall that caused a ceiling at a Woolworths store in Templestowe to collapse.

A severe weather warning for heavy rainfall has been issued for much of Victoria.

Widespread falls of 10-30mm are forecast with isolated intense falls of 60-80mm.

Locations which may be affected include Seymour, Geelong, Melbourne, Wodonga, Wangaratta, Traralgon and Bairnsdale.

“Across parts of the West and South Gippsland, Northeast and East Gippsland districts, widespread falls of 20-50mm are forecast with peak falls to 100mm possible,” the BOM stated at 11.09am.

“Much of the rainfall may fall in periods of four to six hours, particularly during the afternoon and evening.”

Stratford, 16km north of Sale, recorded 72mm in three hours on Monday morning.

The looming storms have resulted in play being suspended on the outside courts at the Australian Open.

MELBOURNE RADAR

Severe thunderstorm warnings were issued at 1.22pm for people in East Gippsland, Mallee, Northern Country and parts of North Central, West and South Gippsland and Wimmera.

The heavy rainfall may lead to flash flooding and large hailstones over several hours.

Locations which may be affected include Mildura, Ouyen, Swan Hill, Kerang, Walpeup, Bendigo, Echuca, Shepparton, Castlemaine, Bairnsdale, Orbost and Mallacoota.

The BOM said “dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding” may affect Morwell, Traralgon, Warragul, Sale, Moe, Maffra and Mt Baw Baw in the afternoon.

A thunderstorm over Stratford saw 45mm fall in two hours, with 72mm recorded three hours earlier.

The Gorge also saw around 66mm of rain recorded since 9am today.

Sheep graziers in the South West, Central and West and South Gippsland districts have been cautioned “there is a risk of losses of lambs and sheep” exposed to these weather conditions.

Strong winds are forecast on Monday in the areas of Port Phillip, Western Port, West Coast and Central Coast.

Fire-affected catchments in Victoria’s northeast and East Gippsland are also on flood watch, according to advice issued by the BOM on Sunday afternoon.

But it’s too soon to say what impact that will have on firefighting efforts.

“It’s difficult for our firefighters to get onto the firegrounds to better assess what that actually means for us,” Emergency Management Victoria Commissioner Andrew Crisp told reporters on Monday.

The State Emergency Service today said it received 1453 calls for assistance from Sunday morning, more than 1000 of them for building damage.

Another 139 call-outs were for flooding, while 118 were for trees that had fallen down on roads.

Rain is forecast for every capital city in Australia’s east. Picture: BOM
Rain is forecast for every capital city in Australia’s east. Picture: BOM

SYDNEY RADAR

NEW SOUTH WALES

The BOM has advised gusty thunderstorms in Sydney this afternoon including locally destructive winds and “large, possibly giant hailstones”.

Hail has already started falling across parts of Sydney, with reports of 4.5cm hail at Oran Park in the city’s southwest.

A warning has been issued for a severe thunderstorm “outbreak” across the ACT and an enormous stretch of NSW with fast-moving storms set to travel quickly across the state.

The warning area spans the Hunter, Metropolitan, Illawarra, South Coast, Central Tablelands, Southern Tablelands, South West Slopes, Snowy Mountains, ACT, and parts of Mid North Coast, North West Slopes and Plains, Central West Slopes and Plains and Riverina.

“Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce damaging winds, large hailstones and heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding in the warning area over the next several hours,” the advice at 12.29pm stated.

Locations which may be affected include Newcastle, Gosford, Sydney, Wollongong, Nowra, Batemans Bay, Orange, Canberra, Goulburn, Tamworth, Dubbo, Wagga Wagga and Albury.

A detailed severe thunderstorm warning was issued at 1.46pm for people in parts of Sydney, the Blue Mountains/Hawkesbury, Maitland/Cessnock, Gosford/Wyong and Wollondilly/Wingecarribee.

“These thunderstorms are moving towards the southeast. They are forecast to affect Colo Heights, Bundanoon and Moss Vale by 2.15pm and Richmond, Riverstone and Branxton by 2.45pm,” the BOM said.

“Damaging winds and large hailstones are likely.”

Parts of Sydney are forecast to be hit by 2.45pm on Monday. Picture: BOM
Parts of Sydney are forecast to be hit by 2.45pm on Monday. Picture: BOM

The low pressure system, “drawing humid air across eastern parts of the state causing widespread thunderstorm activity”, is expected to gradually move to the Tasman Sea on Monday night.

A severe thunderstorm warning was issued at midday for Canberra and Queanbeyan, hitting Canberra Civic by 1.05pm. It brought damaging winds and enormous hailstones.

A 116km/h wind gust was recorded at Canberra Airport around 12.45pm, the BOM said.

RELATED: ‘Monster’ dust storms smother NSW towns

Sky News Weather’s Rob Sharpe said “wild thunderstorms” will spread through central parts of NSW today.

“Particularly heading through central areas of the state, all the way out to the east, potentially in Sydney and the Hunter where supercells are a chance in that region with a dangerous scenario for large hail, damaging winds and heavy rainfall,” he said.

“We may even see some giant hail in some pockets.”

There is a strong wind warning in NSW today for the Byron Coast, Coffs Coast, Macquarie Coast, Hunter Coast, Sydney Coast and Illawarra Coast.

Mr Sharpe said the significant thunderstorm threat will eventually move out to sea tomorrow.

But the hot weather “that’s been bubbling away” in central and northern parts of Australia is due in the country’s fire-ravaged southeast on Wednesday.

Monday's forecast. Picture: Sky Weather
Monday's forecast. Picture: Sky Weather

In Sydney today, there’s a high chance of showers in the afternoon and evening along with the chance of a “possibly severe” thunderstorm. The city is forecast to reach a top of 28C and relative humidity will peak at 92 per cent on Monday night.

A storm, also possibly severe, is likely in Canberra with showers and a maximum temperature of 27C on Monday.

Melbourne has a 100 per cent chance of rain including locally heavy falls and the chance of a thunderstorm with a cool top of 21C.

Storms may continue today in Queensland with a chance of a thunderstorm from late on Monday morning in Brisbane and a high chance of showers along with a top of 33C.

It will be typically sweltering for this time of the year in Darwin, reaching 32C with a slight chance of a shower and the chance of a thunderstorm.

Adelaide will have cloudy skies and a top of 23C, there will be possible light rain in Hobart and a maximum of just 18C, while Perth is the place to be with sunny weather, reaching 31C.

See a summary of the national warnings from the BOM here.

Add your comment to this story

To join the conversation, please Don't have an account? Register

Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout

More related stories

Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/wild-thunderstorms-forecast-in-parts-of-new-south-wales-and-victoria/news-story/c391de1cb158d3dc1a5b0ff55e9bf6b6