Severe Weather Hits NSW: Wind, Rain, Damaging Surf

Here I just wanted to show the change in pressure over the next few days. And what we're looking at is high pressure is showing by the pink or the reddy colors, whereas low pressure by blue. Now from tomorrow morning, we can see the majority of the country is under the influence of high pressure. But as we move into tomorrow afternoon and evening, we've got this tongue of low pressure that starts to spill down the east coast with a low pressure system intensifying as we head into Saturday.

So how is this going to influence the weather? Tomorrow, we're already expecting these hit and miss showers across the majority of New South Wales and southern Queensland as well. However, it's this low intensifying that brings the increased risk of heavy rainfall.

Now the heaviest rainfall is expected to be on that southern flank of the low in those onshore winds that really push into the coast and into the ranges. Now there's also a risk of thunderstorms to bring heavy rainfall pretty much anywhere along the east coast, extending from as far south as the Illawarra through the Sydney Metro, into the Hunter and the Mid-North Coast as well. And as we move into Saturday afternoon, we can see that the risk of heavy rainfall moves as well into the North West Slopes and Plains as it spills over those ranges. Then on Sunday, starting to ease as this low pressure system moves away, it's still expected to remain quite showery, but that risk of heavy rainfall will ease.

Now we have issued multiple flood watches across catchments for the Hunter, the Mid-North Coast and the North West Slopes and Plains, with possible minor riverine flooding with this system. As I mentioned, wind is also a concern with, again, the strongest winds expected to develop on the southern flank of that low through the Hunter, the Mid-North Coast and the North West Slopes and Plains.

Now, wind gusts in excess of 90 km/h are possible, and a Severe Weather Warning is likely to be issued for both the damaging wind gusts and the potential for heavy rainfall as we head into tomorrow.

Now, the winds are also expected to whip up some really large and powerful waves, with damaging surf expected to develop through the central and northern coast of New South Wales and even pushing up into south east Queensland as we head into the latter part of the weekend and early next week.

And now with this coastal low, the impacts, may include trees coming down that could cause damage to property, but as well some flash or riverine flooding with the heavy rainfall and any water across the roads may create particularly dangerous driving conditions.

So if you or anyone you know lives about eastern parts of New South Wales, now is the time to stay up to date with their latest forecasts and warnings via the Bureau website, app and social media. And as always, listen to the advice from your local emergency services. Bye for now.