Australia is set to experience a weekend of very contrasting weather depending on where you are, with winds, flooding and a heatwave just days after a blast of ice hit the country.
Strong winds are expected to continue across the country’s southeast over the weekend, prompting calls to be on the lookout for falling trees and power lines and to avoid flooding.
Severe weather warnings for damaging winds have been issued for south-east New South Wales, parts of the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, the south coast of South Australia and most of Tasmania.
But in Queensland, a winter heatwave could see the state break several temperature records, with the possibility of highs of 40C in the south-west.
Brisbane is expected to experience sunny skies and a maximum temperature of 35°C over the weekend after the Bureau of Meteorology reported that maximum temperatures across the country, including Queensland, have soared between 5 and 16°C above the August average.
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Pieter Claassen said temperatures on Friday and Saturday could break records, particularly south of Townsville in the south-east.
Brisbane could also be “close to breaking its own August records”.
Birdsville is expected to reach a maximum temperature of 40°C, which has the potential to break the August temperature record, which was set last week at 38.4°C.
Australia is set for a weekend of very contrasting weather depending on where you are, with winds, flooding and a heatwave just days after frigid winter temperatures. People are pictured at the end of winter’s warmth in Sydney on August 30.
Strong winds across the south-east of the country are set to continue over the weekend, prompting calls for residents to watch out for fallen trees and power lines and avoid flooding. Women are seen walking in the rain with an umbrella along Hosier Lane in Melbourne
Ipswich, Boulia, Beerburrum, Dalby, Mt Isa and Longreach could also hit record temperatures, with the warm weather likely to continue into next week.
The heatwave comes as vulnerable Victorians who rely on electrical life support equipment were warned by electricity provider Powercor to have back-up plans in place as more destructive winds are expected to hit the country over the weekend.
The power group, which operates in western Victoria, urged its vulnerable customers to be “prepared” with plans in place in case of blackouts.
“Know what to do if the power goes out – charge your phones, laptops and other devices, know how to open your garage door manually and know where to look for information,” Powercor’s head of network control Peter Galey urged on Friday.
‘Make sure you are ready to put your backup plan in place if you rely on life support equipment or need power to care for others, and have water available if your supply depends on power.’
Two main power lines in Apollo Bay, Victoria, were severely damaged on Wednesday, but power was restored on Thursday.
Generators have been sent to the city as a precaution, as well as two field crew members.
A winter heatwave could see Queensland (pictured) break several temperature records
Strong winds have toppled trees (pictured) across much of south-eastern Australia.
Jonathan How, a senior meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology, said Australia’s east coast is in for a “windy weekend” as three powerful cold fronts approach.
Destructive winds will mean high fire danger warnings will remain in place over the weekend in the Greater Sydney Region and Illawarra/Shoalhaven in New South Wales.
Winds are expected to strengthen across much of south-east South Australia, western Victoria and western Tasmania.
“Saturday will see those strong and damaging winds extend into the rest of Tasmania, Victoria and south-east New South Wales, with a second cold front reinvigorating those winds in southern areas, with plenty of rain and showers in tow,” How said.
However, the strongest cold front is expected to arrive on Sunday.
“That will bring widespread destructive and damaging winds across several states, as well as heavy rain, thunderstorms, hail and low-level snow,” he said.
‘We have damaging wind warnings covering four states and many of these areas have already experienced damaging winds all week.
Southeastern Australia braces for a ‘windy weekend’ as three powerful cold fronts approach
“This could cause further damage to trees and property, so I remind people to pay attention to the latest warnings heading into this weekend.”
A coastal hazard warning has been issued for Victoria’s south-west coast up to Wilsons Promontory as waves could reach up to nine metres offshore.
“There will be abnormally high tides in parts of Gippsland, and we’ll start to see waves really pick up with the arrival of this cold front… waves that will pick up to five, six or seven metres from shore,” How said.
“But then with that stronger cold front coming through on Sunday, that’s when we start to see waves building up to nine metres on the south-west coast of Victoria and also in western parts of Tasmania, so these dangerous coastal conditions are likely to continue into Monday.”