Bureau of Meteorology issues severe weather alerts for eastern Australia

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued severe weather alerts across eastern Australia, warning residents of an unusually large multi-state storm system packing hail, damaging winds, flash flooding, and power outages.

According to The Guardian, the active weather threat on Sunday afternoon prompted severe thunderstorm warnings for Sydney, greater Wollongong, and parts of the Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury, Gosford, Wyong, Wollondilly, and Wingecarribee areas. A broad line of storms had already swept through western New South Wales, while eight separate flood warnings remained active across southern Queensland following days of torrential downpours. Wind gusts reaching up to 100km/h were officially recorded in the central west of New South Wales around midday on Sunday.

Bureau meteorologist David Crock described the scale of the atmospheric disturbance, stating via The Guardian:

"This is a multi-state system of storms and it’s unusually large"

David Crock, Bureau meteorologist, via The Guardian

Explaining the meteorological drivers behind the event, Crock noted that an area of high pressure had sat over the Tasman Sea for ten consecutive days, blocking regular weather fronts and sustaining storms and rains across southern Queensland. Eventually, a system strong enough to displace that blocking pattern arrived, bringing severe weather in its wake.

In tandem with these immediate storm hazards, technical issues have impacted some radar data, warnings, and observations, though the Bureau of Meteorology continues to coordinate closely with state and territory fire and emergency agencies to support operations and community safety.

After a very dry September, southern parts of Queensland saw October rainfall multiple times their average monthly totals. Areas around the Sunshine Coast absorbed between 200mm and 400mm of rain over a single week, driving the Mary River downstream of Gympie toward major flood levels in Tiaro.

Region / State	Observed & Forecast Weather Conditions	Active Warnings & Impacts
Southern Queensland	Torrential rain, October rainfall multiple times the average, localized totals of 200mm to 400mm	Eight flood warnings; Mary River approaching major flood levels at Tiaro
Western & Central NSW	Wind gusts up to 100km/h recorded near midday; advancing cold front with tropical moisture	Severe thunderstorm warnings for Sydney, Wollongong, Blue Mountains, and surrounding districts
ACT & Eastern Victoria	Severe storms, hail, damaging winds, and flash flooding risks	Multi-state storm alerts and potential power outage warnings
Tasmania & Western Australia	Coastal showers, snow falling above 800m in Tasmania; cooler weather and southwest showers in WA	General seasonal monitoring and long-range outlook tracking

Farther south and west, conditions varied sharply. Coastal showers affected Victoria and Tasmania, where snow fell at elevations above 800m above sea level, while Western Australia experienced cooler weather with light showers in the southwest. Long-term climate data from the bureau highlights that global heating has warmed Australia by about 1.5C since 1910, providing a broader context for the intense moisture recycling currently observed across the continent.

Meanwhile, public safety agencies emphasize that state and territory health and environment departments retain responsibility for monitoring secondary hazards such as bushfire smoke and maintaining community air quality advisories whenever smoke haze becomes significant.

Describing the expected trajectory, Crock noted via The Guardian:

"[Monday] is the last big bang of this system and that’s going to be a great relief for those people in south-east Queensland"

David Crock, Bureau meteorologist, via The Guardian

Following the passage of this front, the bureau’s long-range forecast for November through January indicates that rainfall is likely to remain above average across most of the country, excluding the far north and much of Tasmania. Concurrently, November is projected to bring warmer-than-usual conditions to the southern half of the continent, with night-time temperatures forecast to stay well above average.