Australians have been warned that the “windiest period” of the country’s severe weather is yet to come, with residents in one state facing temperatures of around 35 degrees Celsius on the first day of spring.
Much of the country has been hit by extreme weather over the past week, with power outages, trees destroyed homes and garden items blown away by strong winds.
Sky News Weather Meteorologist Rob Sharp said a new front will move across the south-east of the country on Sunday afternoon and Monday, bringing the ‘windiest period’.
“I think this will be the windiest period of the entire event for many places,” he said.
‘It’s been an exceptionally windy week in the southeast of the country and things are getting even more exciting now that the new season is starting.’
An extreme weather warning has been issued in New South Wales due to damaging winds in the Snowy Mountains and parts of the Illawarra, South Coast, Central Tablelands, Southern Tablelands, South West Slopes and the Australian Capital Territory Forecast Districts.
Victoria is warned of damaging, locally destructive wind warnings across Central, East Gippsland, South West, North Central, West and South Gippsland, Wimmera and parts of the Northern Country, North East and Mallee Forecast Districts.
An extreme weather warning has been issued for the Mount Lofty Ranges, Kangaroo Island, Upper South East, Lower South East and parts of Lower Eyre Peninsula, Yorke Peninsula, Mid North and Murraylands in South Australia due to damaging wind gusts.
Australians have been warned to be prepared for potentially deadly winds set to sweep further up the east coast this week after devastating parts of Victoria
Tasmania has also been issued an extreme weather warning due to damaging, locally destructive wind gusts across King Island, Furneaux Islands, Western, Upper Derwent Valley, North East, North West Coast, Central North, Central Plateau and parts of the South East, East Coast and Midlands Forecast Districts.
However, on Tuesday the windy weather will decrease in the southeast.
In addition to warnings for damaging winds, a series of flood warnings have been issued for Tasmania. Flood warnings are in place for the west, north, northwest and parts of the rivers in the northeast.
A major flood warning has been issued for the River Derwent, while a minor flood warning has been issued for the River Ouse.
Warnings are also in place for the Rivers Styx and Tyenna, with a moderate warning in place for the Rivers Meander, North Esk and South Esk.
Minor flood warnings have also been issued for the St Patricks River, Forth River, Huon River, Macquarie River, Isis River, Lake River, Brumbys Creek and Mersey River.
A man died and a woman was seriously injured after a falling tree crushed their car (file image) in Victoria’s Gellibrand on Wednesday
While some may still be in shelter, millions of other Australians are expected to sweat in the unusually high temperatures
Temperature-wise, Monday will be the ‘coldest day of the week’ for the southwest, with the cold air moving into Queensland on Tuesday.
However, it is expected that even more heat will flow to the south of the country on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“If you look at the coming week as a whole, you will see that much of the country will be warmer than normal, especially mid-week, as it has been in recent weeks. It’s just not as extreme,” Sharp said.
“I don’t expect any records to be broken, but for many parts of the country it will be a great start to spring.”
Sydney is expected to see a maximum temperature of 28 degrees on Thursday, while Melbourne could reach a maximum temperature of 22 degrees despite showers.
Brisbane is expected to hit 34 degrees Celsius on Monday, while Perth will be the hottest day on Monday, with temperatures reaching 25 degrees Celsius.
Adelaide is expected to reach 25 degrees on Wednesday, while Hobart could reach 19 degrees on Wednesday. Showers will continue throughout the week.
Canberra is expected to see a maximum temperature of 23 degrees Celsius on Friday, while Darwin is expected to see temperatures reach 36 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.
Tasmania is also facing a series of flood warnings, with a flood alert in place for the western, northern, north-west and parts of the north-east rivers.
Sydney
Monday: Sunny. Wind northwest 30 to 45 km/h shifting west to southwest 35 to 55 km/h in the late morning and afternoon. Min 16C Max 26C
Tuesday: Sunny. Wind southwest 15 to 25 km/h, shifting to south to southeast 15 to 20 km/h during the day and then light in the afternoon. Min 10C Max 18C
Wednesday: Mostly sunny. Light wind becoming northerly in the morning 15 to 25 km/h and weak in the evening. Min 8C Max 23C
Melbourne
Monday: Partly cloudy. Very high chance of showers, decreasing in the eastern suburbs in the evening. Chance of thunderstorms. Possible damaging winds and small hail. Winds northwest 35 to 50 km/h, shifting to west 35 to 55 km/h before sunrise, decreasing to 30 to 45 km/h in the late afternoon. Min 10C Max 14C
Tuesday: Partly cloudy. Slight chance of a shower in the eastern suburbs in the morning. Almost zero chance of rain elsewhere. Winds from the west 15 to 25 km/h, becoming light during the day. Min 8C Mac 17C
Wednesday: Mostly sunny. Wind north 25 to 35 km/h increasing to 30 to 45 km/h in the morning. Min 9C Max 20C
Brisbane
Monday: Sunny. Light wind becoming west to northwest 20 to 30 km/h in the middle of the day and becoming west to southwest 15 to 25 km/h in the late afternoon. Min 19C Max 34C
Tuesday: Sunny. Wind south to southeast 25 to 35 km/h, becoming light in the evening. Min 17C Max 25C
Wednesday: Cloudy. Light wind becoming southeasterly in the morning 15 to 20 km/h and easterly during the day 15 to 25 km/h. Min. 14C Max. 23C
Perth
Monday: Mostly sunny. Light wind becoming northeasterly in the morning 15 to 20 km/h then light in the afternoon. Min 9C Max 25C
Tuesday: Partly cloudy. Average chance of showers. Light wind, shifting to west 20 to 30 km/h in the morning. Min 13C Max 22C
Wednesday: Cloudy. Very high chance of showers. Wind west 25 to 35 km/h. Min 14C Max 20C
Adelaide
Monday: Partly cloudy. Average chance of showers, probably early in the morning. Winds west to southwest 30 to 45 km/h, tending to south to southwest 15 to 25 km/h in the late afternoon, then light in the late evening. Min 11C Max 17C
Tuesday: Sunny. Light wind that becomes northerly during the day 15 to 20 km/h and tends to northeasterly in the afternoon. Min 7C Max 20C
Wednesday: Sunny morning. Small chance of a shower in the evening. Wind north 25 to 35 km/h. Min 11C Max 25C
Hobart
Monday: Cloudy. Chance of showers, probably early in the morning. Possible small hail. Wind northwest 15 to 20 km/h, shifting to west 25 to 35 km/h early in the morning, then increasing to 30 to 45 km/h in the morning. Min 7C Max 12C
Tuesday: Partly cloudy. Small chance of a shower. Wind west 25 to 35 km/h decreasing to 20 to 30 km/h in the morning and tending to northwest 15 to 20 km/h in the evening. Min 7C Max 15C
Wednesday: Partly cloudy. Average chance of showers, probably in the afternoon and evening. Wind northwest 20 to 30 km/h. Min 8C Max 19C
Canberra
Monday: Cloudy. Average chance of showers, likely in the morning. Possible damaging winds in the morning and afternoon. Winds northwest 30 to 45 km/h, tending to west 35 to 55 km/h in the morning, decreasing to 15 to 25 km/h in the late evening. Min 8C Max 14C
Tuesday: Sunny. Morning frost spots. Westerly wind 15 to 20 km/h, becoming light in the morning. Min 0C Mac 16C
Wednesday: Mostly sunny. Morning frost spots. Light wind that becomes northwesterly during the day, 15 to 25 km/h. Min 0C Max 18C
Darwin
Monday: Sunny. Light wind that becomes east to northeast in the morning 15 to 25 km/h and in the evening to north to northeast 15 to 20 km/h. Min 23C Max 35C
Tuesday: Sunny. Light winds turning northeast to southeast during the day, 15 to 25 km/h, and in the afternoon to north to northeast. Min. 23C Max. 36C
Wednesday: Sunny. Light wind that will become east to southeast 20 to 30 km/h in the morning and north to northeast 15 to 25 km/h in the afternoon. Min 23C Max 36C
