Sydney, Brisbane among Australian cities set for a wet Christmas

Australia’s Christmas Day weather is not looking good in several major cities, and it’s all because of this major weather pattern.

The weather forecast for Christmas Day has been revealed, and it’s predicted to be a wet one for most of Australia.

Experts from the Bureau of Meteorology have suggested the strongest La Nina in a decade could bring showers and cooler temperatures for several major cities on December 25.

Sydney is predicted to have a maximum temperature of 26C and a low of 19C, but showers scattered throughout the day and a chance of storms may dash hopes of a day at the beach.

Rain is also expected to be on and off for Canberra, Brisbane, Hobart and Darwin.

But it’s not all gloom at Christmas, with Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide set to welcome sunny skies and warm temperatures. Adelaide could even reach a maximum of 34C.

Sydney may experience showers on Christmas Day. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Christmas Day is also expected to kick off a wet summer for large parts of the nation.

Dr Lynette Bettio, from the Bureau of Meteorology, said that was due to the La Nina effect.

“We have La Nina active in the tropical Pacific, so we have cooler waters in the east (combining with) warmer waters near Australia and that really brings more moisture into our region,” she said.

“That increases the likelihood of above-average rainfall across Australia over the summer period.”

Melbourne will be mostly sunny on Christmas Day and temperatures could reach 28C.

Dr Claire McClusky, also from the bureau, said flooding was possible on the east coast of Australia.

“In areas where soils are wet, with rain expected there is potential for widespread flooding, and we‘re seeing that play out in northeastern NSW,” McClusky said.

“With increased risk of flooding in coming months, please keep up on our website and listen to emergency services.”