Wild storms to batter Victoria after 350,000 lightning strikes lash state
Residents have been told to batten down the hatches as wild weather lashes Australia’s southeast, with Victoria to cop the brunt of it.
A severe weather warning is in place for parts of Victoria as a wild storm is expected to tear through the state’s east.
There were more than 350,000 lightning strikes across Victoria on Wednesday, and forecasters believe there is more where that came from.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued a severe storm warning for damaging winds in parts of East Gippsland, North East and West and South Gippsland forecast districts.
Meteorologists said a slow moving trough was travelling across central Victoria and would reach eastern parts of the state by Thursday morning, delivering relentless winds of up to 100km/h to alpine regions.
However, harsh winds and heavy rain are possible outside the current warning areas.
“A separate, severe thunderstorm warning may be issued as required,” the BOM said.
Around 350,000 lightning strikes over #Victoria yesterday, with further thunderstorms for eastern Vic today. Monitor lightning activity at https://t.co/bKXCGHkEAr pic.twitter.com/jxAXRkDFQP
— Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria (@BOM_Vic) November 11, 2020
The BOM has put several locations on alert, including Bright, Mount Baw Baw, Falls Creek, Mount Hotham and Mount Buller.
The State Emergency Service is urging people to be aware of potentially unstable trees, tie down loose items, and stay indoors and away from trees, drains, gutters and waterways.
All weather warnings for the Central and North Central forecast districts have been cancelled.
BOM meteorologist Dean Narramore said storms will have developed by the afternoon but won’t be as active as Wednesday.
The weather is expected to settle on Friday and into the weekend with temperatures in the low 20s to high teens.
It will warm up on Sunday, though, with a top of 31C forecast for Melbourne.
On Wednesday Victorians were also warned to be aware of “thunderstorm asthma”, particularly if they’ve recently recovered from COVID-19.
According to new research, people most likely to suffer from thunderstorm asthma have three things in common: rye-grass pollen allergy, undiagnosed asthma and no action plan for treatment.
Ten people died when Melbourne experienced the world’s largest epidemic thunderstorm asthma event on November 21, 2016.
Meanwhile, in NSW a marine wind warning is in place for the Byron, Coffs, Macquarie, Hunter, Sydney, Illawarra, Batemans and Eden coasts.
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) November 11, 2020
Severe thunderstorms are likely in the state’s south, particularly across Wagga Wagga where storms are forecast to develop in the morning and afternoon.
Queensland is facing hot and stormy conditions during the weekend, with temperatures soaring to between 5C and 10C above the November average.
The BOM’s Peter Markworth said pleasant days were expected in the southeast before the rapid increase in temperate hit and wild weather ensued.
“Those warmer conditions up around 33C … 32C on Sunday and then subsequently Monday will keep those warmer temperatures up,” he said.
Severe thunderstorms are possible in the northwest but are more likely to lash the southeast.
There are no current weather warnings in place across the state but that could change.
A top of 28C is forecast for Brisbane on Friday with a the chance of a thunderstorm in the afternoon and evening.
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