‘Hybrid cyclone’ to severely smash eastern seaboard

Australia’s eastern seaboard will be hit by a ‘hybrid cyclone’ with NSW emergency services turning their attention to the state’s southeast as flood risks ease across the Northern Rivers.

The Bureau warned that two distinct low pressure systems would converge off Victoria’s east coast and form a hybrid cyclone. Picture: Dan Peled

Australia’s eastern seaboard will be hit by a “hybrid cyclone” arriving off the east coast of Victoria, with NSW emergency services turning their attention to the state’s southeast as flood risks ease across the Northern Rivers.

The Bureau of Meteorology warned on Tuesday that two distinct low pressure systems would converge off Victoria’s east coast and form a hybrid cyclone, bringing severe thunderstorms and potential flash flooding across eastern Victoria, southeast NSW and eastern Tasmania over the next three days.

While the flood risk gradually recedes across Lismore, significant flooding remains at multiple inland towns, including Warren, Wee Waa, Moree, Gunnedah and Moama, with heavy rainfall predicted to move towards the state’s south coast and reach Gippsland in Victoria.

SES Commissioner Carlene York said emergency respondents were still attending major flood sites across the state’s western plains, south west slopes and the Riverina district, with flash flooding occurring in Cooma in the state’s south following heavy localised rainfall.

It comes as 1500 residents in Narrabri, in the state’s north west, were told to evacuate on Tuesday morning, with the Bureau forecasting more unpredictable and localised rainfall across the region.

“Most of the eastern seaboard is unstable at the moment and there‘s a lot of triggers as well which could cause heavy localised rainfall,” the bureau’s Dean Narramore said.

“It’s warm and humid and we’ve got multiple surface troughs and upper troughs, with different mechanisms combining with the warm moist air.”

“We’re now regularly dealing with consecutive waves of new fronts that are primed to produce severe thunderstorms and flood conditions. But it remains unpredictable,” he said.

On Tuesday, 24 evacuation orders and 141 flood warnings were active across NSW, with Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke confirming supermarket shelves and grocery prices would be impacted because of sustained flood disruption to the state’s agricultural industry.

“When you’ve got not just the actual harvest being impacted, but our ability to transport it and get it from the farm gate, right through to processing and onto the supermarket shelf, those impacts are likely to be felt at one point or another.”

“The flood risk and the threat remains across NSW today and will do so for some days to come,” Ms Cooke said.

Premier Dominic Perrottet, who toured flood-affected regions in the state’s north, said the financial damage inflicted by the deluge remained unclear, but warned residents against taking unnecessary risks in areas where flood waters were receding.

IAG Insurance said on Tuesday afternoon it had received more than 2500 flood-related claims since October 12.