Clouds, rainy weather predicted for New Year’s Eve in major cities

Many Aussies will be heading out on New Years eve with an umbrella in hand as the Bureau of Meteorology predicts some grim conditions.

The rain that smashed millions of Australians over Christmas and Boxing Day looks set to continue, with the Bureau of Meteorology predicting some heartbreaking weather for New Year’s Eve celebrations.

The bureau expects the greater Brisbane, Canberra, Sydney and Darwin areas to bring in 2024 under cloudy skies and showers, with South East Queensland almost certain to be hit with a rain event.

Across December 31, 2023 and January 1, 2024, the bureau expects up to 45mm of rain to fall over Brisbane, with a 90 per cent chance of rain on both days.

In Sydney, home to the beloved New Year’s Eve fireworks display over the iconic Harbour Bridge, the bureau says there is a 60 per cent chance of rain on both the Sunday and Monday.

But the rain won’t stop the city from welcoming 2024 with a bang, with the City of Sydney confirming to NCA NewsWire it would only cancel its fireworks extravaganza in the event of extreme winds, which the bureau is not forecasting for the weekend.

Sydney’s grey weather looks set to continue over New Year’s Eve. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard

“While rain might put a dampener on audiences gathered around the harbour, it will not stop the show - in fact, fireworks look better in the rain,” a council spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

“Cancelling fireworks is a last resort decision that will only be taken if the City believes extreme winds may adversely affect the direction of fireworks and put the safety of audiences at risk.”

Canberra also looks set to ring in 2024 under cloudy skies, with a 30 per cent chance of rain on both days.

People in the greater Darwin area will also likely see rain and thunderstorms over the new year, with a high chance of showers on Sunday.

Though eastern Australia and the Northern Territory will likely experience a damp New Year’s Eve, other parts of the country will enjoy a brighter and drier night to celebrate.

It will be partly cloudy in Melbourne on December 31 and mostly sunny on January 1, with only a 5 per cent chance of rain on both days.

Breezy 13-27C temperatures are forecast for Adelaide, with a zero per cent chance of rain on December 31 and only 5 per cent on January 1.

Perth residents will likely enjoy sunny and partly cloudy days, with temperatures ranging from 19C to 31C.

The dampened New Year’s Eve weather caps off a nightmarish few days for much of Australia over the Christmas period.

The brutal storms that swept through parts of Queensland, NSW and Victoria have left seven people dead, including a nine-year-old girl who was lost in surging waters on Boxing Day in Brisbane’s south.

More than 126,000 customers of Queensland power utility Energex are going without power after a massive storm hit the region on Christmas night and knocked out multiple power lines.

“Customers in the worst-hit areas need to be prepared for the possibility of being without power until as late as Sunday afternoon (December 31),” Energex said.

Rutherford residents in NSW posted photos of massive hail stones after a storm swept through the town on Boxing Day. Picture: Supplied

“This is some of the worst damage we’ve encountered and we can’t overstate the immense scale of the job ahead.”

In the NSW town of Rutherford, north of Newcastle, massive hailstones pummelled cars and houses.

“So much massive hail in Rutherford,” Caz Hooper said on social media.

“I imagine the insurance companies will be very busy this week! My car is wrecked!”

Brooke Lewins, meanwhile, said she had seen “tennis ball sized” hail in the town.