Severe Weather Warnings Issued for New South Wales, Tasmania, and Victoria Amid Heavy Rain Forecast

Severe weather warnings have been issued for the Australian states of New South Wales, Tasmania, and Victoria throughout the remainder of the week, according to Australian weather authorities.

Heavy rainfall and floodwaters are the greatest risk from the current adverse weather.

As a result, further weather alerts are likely to be issued in the coming hours and days.

Evacuation orders are also possible in at risk areas.

Previous weather forecasts in the country suggested a renewed La Nina-triggered weather before the year ends.

In the first quarter of 2022, the same weather phenomenon was reportedly responsible for causing the massive flooding in Eastern Australia, resulting in large-scale catastrophic damage and disruption.

Severe Weather Warnings

The Australian Government's Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) at 2:15 p.m. AEDT (local time) on Wednesday, October 12, issued severe weather warnings for parts of Southeast Australia.

This is due to a cold front and trough carrying widespread heavy rain, scattered thunderstorms, and damaging winds for Wednesday and Thursday, October 13.

There is a potential risk of moderate to major flooding.

Communities in low-lying areas and near inland bodies of water like lakes, streams, and rivers are at risk of experiencing flash flooding.

In previous months this year, riverine flooding has become a commonplace for parts of New South Wales, since torrential rain can lead to the overflow of water levels in these natural water basins.

Affected States and Areas

The BoM outlined that the warning includes the following states and its areas:

• New South Wales - heavy rain with a six-hour total of 30 to 50 millimeters overnight from Wednesday to Thursday for the southern inland parts of New South Wales. The Australia weather agency predicted damaging winds will be above 90 kilometers per hour in the Alpine areas from Thursday afternoon.
• Tasmania - heavy rain with a six-hour total of 40 to 60 mm. across northern Tasmania, increasing to intense rain of up to 100 mm. across the Great Western Tiers, overnight from Wednesday and into Thursday.
• Victoria - heavy rain with a six-hour total of 30 to 50 mm. overnight from Wednesday to Thursday in the central and northern parts of the state. The severe weather warning has expanded to include the city of Melbourne and northeast Victoria. Damaging winds above 90 kilometers per hour is possible for elevated terrain in central and eastern Victoria from Thursday morning.

Australia Cold Front

A slow-moving cold front and surface trough drags moisture down from the tropics charged with the La Nina weather event and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD).

It is a double source of moisture converging above southeast Australia, which is triggering this tropical-sourced heavy rainfall, according to weather forecaster Jonathan How of the BoM, as cited by ABC News.

In similar previous weather events this year, La Nina and IOD has led to a series of inclement weather and storms across Australia, resulting in massive flooding and widespread disruption to travel.

Latest updates show the rain kicks off on Wednesday in outback South Australia before reaching its peak on Thursday over the southeast.

The main focus of the heavy showers is expected to be over Victoria and northern Tasmania.