Millions of Australians have been urged to work from home and avoid unnecessary travel ahead of another week of destructive winds set to lash large swathes of the country.
A series of destructive cold fronts have battered the south-east of the country, including Tasmania, where thousands of homes were left without power and some residents prepared to evacuate as flood waters rose.
Wild weather hit Victoria on Sunday night.
Power outages are affecting more than 50,000 homes across Victoria, from Warrnambool in the south-west to Melbourne.
Several schools have also been closed and parents are urged to check their school’s social media for updates on whether they should send their children to school.
The Bureau of Meteorology said the massive cold front was moving eastwards towards New South Wales.
“It’s in the early hours of (Monday) that winds on the east coast of New South Wales will really start to pick up,” senior meteorologist Sarah Scully said on Sunday.
A severe weather warning has been issued for damaging winds from the Victorian border north to Newcastle and inland to the Snowy Mountains and Australian Capital Territory.
Wind gusts of up to 120 km/h will be possible until Monday afternoon.
“Winds of this strength have the potential to down trees and limbs which can cause property damage, also knock down power lines which could cause power outages, and can also blow loose objects around and cause further damage,” Scully said.
The recent spell of bad weather brought down trees and power lines and several garden items were thrown far from homes in Victoria (pictured)
Roofs and other structures were left torn apart (pictured) as a result of the destructive winds that have hit parts of Australia in recent weeks.
Tasmania was hit by severe weather over the weekend, with significant damage to trees, property, power lines and infrastructure.
A flood emergency warning has been issued for residents near the River Derwent, Meadowbank to Macquarie Plains and the River Styx, Bushy Park to Macquarie Plains and surrounding areas.
The River Derwent below Meadowbank Dam is likely to exceed the main flood level of 7.3 metres overnight on Sunday and Monday, the bureau said on Sunday night.
Residents in south-east Tasmanian towns on the Derwent River, including Meadowbank, Glenora, Bushy Park, Gretna and Macquarie Plains, have been urged to implement emergency flood plans and prepare their properties.
Supplier TasNetworks said there were more than 150 power outages late on Sunday and about 10,000 customers were left without electricity.
Tasmania SES teams prepare for flooding. Image: Tasmania SES
A cold front will move through parts of South Australia and Tasmania on Sunday night, while Victoria will be hit by damaging wind gusts of up to 130km/h (pictured)
Sydney is expected to hit a high of 25C on Monday, while Melbourne will hit just 14C on Monday before warming up to 20C by midweek.
A high of 33°C is expected in Brisbane on Monday before temperatures drop to around 25°C. The warmest day in Perth also looks set to be Monday, with a high of 25°C.
Adelaide is forecast to hit 25°C on Wednesday and Thursday, while Hobart will see a few cool days before warming up to 20°C later in the week.
Tasmania’s capital is set to be hit by persistent, scattered showers for much of the week.
Canberra is expected to hit a high of 24C on Friday, while the Top End, Darwin, is expected to hit a scorching 36C on Wednesday.
Sydney
Monday: Sunny. Very windy. Min. 16 °C. Max. 25 °C.
Tuesday: Sunny. Min. 10 °C. Max. 18 °C.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny. Min. 10 °C. Max. 18 °C.
Melbourne
Monday: Rainfall decreases: wind. Min. 10 °C Max. 14 °C
Tuesday: Partly cloudy. Min. 8 °C Max. 17°C
Wednesday: Wind increasing. Partly cloudy. Min. 9 °C Max. 20 °C
Brisbane
Monday: Sunny. Windy. Min. 19 °C. Max. 33 °C.
Tuesday: Sunny. Min. 16 °C Max. 25 °C
Wednesday: Partly cloudy. Min. 13 °C Max. 23°C
Perth
Monday: Sunny. Min. 9 °C Max. 25 °C
Tuesday: One or two showers. Min. 12 °C Max. 21 °C
Wednesday: Rain. Min. 13 °C Max. 20 °C
Adelaide
Monday: Possible early rain. Min. 11 °C Max. 17 °C
Tuesday: Sunny. Minimum 7 °C Maximum 20 °C
Wednesday: Possible formation of showers. Min. 12 °C Max. 25 °C
Hobart
Monday: Rainfall decreases. Wind. Minimum 6 °C Maximum 12 °C
Tuesday: Partly cloudy. Min. 7 °C Max. 15°C
Wednesday: One or two showers. Min. 7 °C Max. 19 °C
Sydney is expected to be mostly sunny despite a windy start to the week on Monday, with highs of 29°C forecast on Friday.
Canberra
Monday: Windy. Partly cloudy. Min. 9 °C. Max. 14°C.
Tuesday: Sunny. Min. 1 °C. Max. 16 °C.
Wednesday: Early frosts. Mostly sunny. Min. 0 °C. Max. 19 °C.
Darwin
Monday: Sunny. Minimum 23 °C Maximum 35 °C
Tuesday: Sunny. Minimum 23 °C Maximum 35 °C
Wednesday: Sunny. Minimum 23 °C Maximum 36 °C
Hobart will be hit by persistent scattered showers for most of the week, while scattered showers are also expected in Melbourne and Adelaide (pictured, people holding an umbrella on a rainy day)
