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Three-day rain bomb to strike Sydney as Queensland hit with cyclone

Daily Mail 5/04/2022 Olivia Day and Kylie Stevens For Daily Mail Australia

The arrival of a three-day rain bomb will force Sydneysiders to bid farewell to the sun from Wednesday, as a tropical cyclone threatens to wreak havoc in southeast Queensland.

Millions in NSW were allowed a short reprieve from wet and dreary conditions early this week after suffering through the wettest March on record.

Now, forecasters warn balmy temperatures and blue skies will be replaced with heavy rain and storms that are due to pound the state for the next three days.

The huge band of wet weather will hit on Wednesday, spreading from Grafton down the Victorian border.

Weatherzone predicts the heaviest rain will hit the southern half of NSW's coast, with 100 to 200mm expected to fall over the next 96 hours.

It predicted a deepening low pressure trough exacerbated by an onshore airstream would trigger widespread rain and thunderstorms over NSW and Victoria.

Swathes of southeast Queensland are also due to affected by the rainfall, just weeks after flood-weary residents were forced to evacuate their homes and businesses.

PREDICTIONS OF MINOR TO MODERATE FLOODING:

Minor to moderate flooding is predicted for the following catchments in NSW:

▪️ Wollombi Brook

▪️ Lower Hunter River

▪️ Hawkesbury River

▪️ Nepean River

▪️ Colo River

In NSW, the bulk of the rain is expected to hit the South Coast and Southern Tablelands districts, with 100mm predicted to fall from Tuesday to Saturday.

Storms lingering across eastern and southeastern Australia until the weekend will have the potential to become severe with the possibility of floods and landslides.

The heavy rain will be accompanied by strong easterly winds and large waves that could cause erosion to some parts of the NSW coast later this week.

The Bureau of Meteorology on Tuesday issued a flood watch for NSW Central and Southern Coastal Rivers as well as the Macquarie and Queanbeyan Rivers.

Flood warnings are currently in place for the Richmond, Orara, Paroo, Culgoa, Birrie, Bokhara, Narran, and Snowy Rivers and the Macintyre River in Queensland.

Wet conditions are expected to extend to the southeast of the state on Thursday and Friday with the potential of minor to moderate flooding in these areas.

Weatherzone said heavy rain and powerful winds had been triggered by a tropical cyclone moving south across the Coral Sea colliding with a high pressure system forming in the southern Tasman Sea.

The most recent tropical cyclones comes 16 years after one of the state's most powerful storms in almost a century caused $1.5billion damage bill.

Weatherzone has warned the heavy rain will bring the potential of flooding and landslides at areas already saturated by previous rainfall (pictured, Lismore residents on March 31)

© Provided by Daily Mail Weatherzone has warned the heavy rain will bring the potential of flooding and landslides at areas already saturated by previous rainfall (pictured, Lismore residents on March 31) In NSW, the bulk of the rain is expected to fall over the South Coast and Southern Tablelands districts with 100mm predicted to fall over four days (pictured, floods in Byron last week)

In NSW, the bulk of the rain is expected to fall over the South Coast and Southern Tablelands districts with 100mm predicted to fall over four days (pictured, floods in Byron last week)

© Provided by Daily Mail In NSW, the bulk of the rain is expected to fall over the South Coast and Southern Tablelands districts with 100mm predicted to fall over four days (pictured, floods in Byron last week)

A developing tropical low north-west of Vanuatu was forecast to move south-west on Monday before slowing down and turning south on Tuesday.

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'There is a slight chance it moves further west inside the region for a period on Tuesday or Wednesday as a tropical cyclone before before moving south-east away from the Australian region,' the bureau predicted.

'By the weekend the system will pass to the north of Norfolk Island causing an increase to the east south-easterlies.'

The category five Cyclone Larry in late March 2006 was one of Queensland's most powerful cyclones in almost a century.

© Provided by Daily Mail The category five Cyclone Larry in late March 2006 was one of Queensland's most powerful cyclones in almost a century (pictured a hotel destroyed by the 2006 cyclone) Weatherzone predicts the heaviest rain will hit the southern half of NSW's coast and ranges with 100 to 200mm expected to fall over the next 96 hours (pictured is a weather map)

Weatherzone predicts the heaviest rain will hit the southern half of NSW's coast and ranges with 100 to 200mm expected to fall over the next 96 hours (pictured is a weather map)

© Provided by Daily Mail Weatherzone predicts the heaviest rain will hit the southern half of NSW's coast and ranges with 100 to 200mm expected to fall over the next 96 hours (pictured is a weather map)

The cyclone made hundreds of people homeless and knocked out power to thousands of homes, resulting in a $1.5billion damage bill.

Larry was at the time the costliest tropical cyclone to ever hit Australia before it was surpassed by Cyclone Yasi five years later with a damage bill of $3.5billion.

Yasi remains Australia's most costliest cyclone, even after Cyclone Debbie in 2017.

Brisbane Weather Chief David Taylor said the most recent cyclone warning brought a threat of more wild weather as the Easter school holidays began.

'There will be one, possibly two systems that will develop into a cyclone, it just boils down to timing,' he told the Courier Mail.

Queensland and NSW aren't the only states being pummelled by wild weather.

Brisbane Weather Chief David Taylor said the most recent cyclone warning brought a threat of more wild weather as the school holidays began (pictured is damage from cyclone Larry)

© Provided by Daily Mail Brisbane Weather Chief David Taylor said the most recent cyclone warning brought a threat of more wild weather as the school holidays began (pictured is damage from cyclone Larry)

Heavy rains and gale-force winds cut off power to towns across eastern Victoria and closed a major highway with flooding.

The State Emergency Service said it received 62 calls for help, fewer than expected, in East Gippsland in the past 24 hours.

Meanwhile, up to 25mm is expected to drench Sydney on Wednesday, following another soaking of up to 100mm on Thursday.

Melbourne is in for a cloudy week with possible showers and temperatures in the low 20s while Brisbane will be warmer with the mercury reaching the high 20s but could also see scattered showers.

Adelaide will see similar temperatures and be mostly sunny, while Perth will also be sunny and hot with the temperature hovering around the 30C mark for the week.

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