Melbourne, Adelaide weather: “Significant” rain event forecast

A La Nina event was declared just last week and already the threat of much wetter and cooler conditions is coming to pass. Southern, central and eastern parts of Australia are set to be rocked by a “significant” rain event, damaging winds strong enough to fell trees, flash flooding and temperatures that in some parts could be 16C below average.
Thursday could be a “busy weather day,” one forecaster quipped.
Victoria and Tasmania are likely to be most affected with several days of pounding rain banishing all memories of the summery weekend just gone.
“A low will develop over southeast in Australia on Wednesday night into Thursday and it is this that will focus the heavy rain thunderstorms and damaging winds into Victoria and Tasmania,” said the Bureau of Meteorology’s Dean Narramore.
“Severe weather warnings are likely to be issued on Wednesday.”
Mr Narramore said the storms could lead to dangerous driving conditions including flooded roads.
“Temperatures are expected to be 8-16C below average across much of inland Western Australia, the Northern Territory and South Australia; some locations could see their coldest October day on record in Central Australia.”
For Adelaide, that means a high chance of showers for Wednesday and early on Thursday morning. The mercury is only likely to get to 15C on Wednesday and 17C on Thursday with lows of 9C.
Crossing into Victoria, and it’s going to be very soggy indeed.
“There will be some wild winds initially in the Alpine areas and then in coastal areas as it drifts down into the Bass Strait,” said Sky News Weather meteorologist Rob Sharpe.
“The westerlies behind it will bring a bounty of showers.”
Mr Sharpe summed it up as a “drenching”.
There could up to 10mm of rain on both Wednesday and Thursday in the Melbourne CBD with highs in the mid-teens and lows only just in double digits.
Thursday could see thunderstorms and those strong blustery winds.
Wetter still in Hobart but not on Wednesday when it will be the calm before the storm. Although not particularly warm at just 16C.
But on Thursday the rains are forecast to chuck as much as 25mm on the city and around 10mm the following day. Highs of around 15C and lows of 9C.
“Thursday is a very busy day for south east Australia in terms of the weather,” said Mr Sharpe.
As well as the storms hitting Victoria and Tasmania, Thursday could see thunderstorms in Sydney too.
But the rain, and it will be less than the moisture further south, is expected to be heaviest on Wednesday when there will be a high of 21C.
On Thursday it’ll peak at 27C in the Harbour City with some rain before glorious sunshine of Friday.
Wednesday and Thursday could see showers in Canberra – as much as 35mm overall with temperatures getting to around 20C.
Southern parts of New South Wales could also see substantial rain over both days.
Generally sunny in Brisbane with maximums in the high twenties, maybe inching over 30C on Friday.
Darwin will be stormy with showers most days and highs of 32C.
In Alice Springs, expect rain on Thursday before the skies clear for the rest of the week. That will see temperatures rise from a high of just 19C on Wednesday to 30C on Sunday but the mornings will continue to be chilly.
Perth is free of much of the drama further east. The next few days will be cloudy with highs in the low twenties and overnight lows of around 10C. Some possible showers on Thursday.