Fire permits pulled with wild winds and thunderstorms predicted to whip the state

UPDATED: NO new fire permits will be issued this weekend and those already approved will be revoked as Tasmania prepares for thunderstorms and strong winds.

NO new fire permits will be issued this weekend and those already approved will be revoked as Tasmania prepares for thunderstorms and strong winds.

The Bureau of Meteorology issued an alert this morning saying a series of fronts were likely to bring thunderstorms, strong wind gusts and showers across Tasmania on Friday and Saturday.

The windy conditions have prompted the Tasmania Fire Service to not issue any fire permits in any southern or northern municipalities until Sunday at 6pm.

Any fire permits already issued have now been revoked as conditions will be outside the limits for safe burning.

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Dark clouds gathering over Hobart.

“The risk to the community of issuing permits to allow landowners to conduct burns on their property is too great under the expected conditions which include thunderstorms and strong, dry winds,” Regional Chief Jeremy Smith said.

Climatologist Ian Barnes-Keoghan from the Bureau of Meteorology said October had been warmer and drier than normal and less windy.

“It was especially warm in the middle of the month and there were only four days last month where wind gusts reached over 100km/h,” he said.

“It was Tasmania’s third direst October as a whole and the 10th warmest on record.”

The State’s North-West is forecast to receive most of Friday’s forecast rain with 10-20mm and isolated thunderstorms predicted.

Other areas should see totals up to 15mm.

The wind will also pick up with gusts expected to reach 90-100km/h.

“Saturday will see strong gusty winds continue for most of the day with peak gusts

potentially reaching 90-100km/h by late afternoon,” the forecast said.

While the stormy weather is expected to make conditions humid in some parts of the state there will also be snow in elevated areas down to 700m late on Friday and 600m early on Saturday.

The bureau’s latest climate summary says shows drier conditions and warmer than average temperatures are expected over summer.