Fires, floods, a month of rain and a possible cyclone are expected to affect eastern Australia in the coming days.
Tasmania is expected to face heavy rain and possible thunderstorms this weekend as firefighters continue to battle raging bushfires in central Queensland.
Meanwhile, meteorologists are closely monitoring a possible tropical cyclone forming near the Solomon Islands.
Parts of Tasmania will begin to experience well above average rain from Friday evening.
Thunderstorms and damaging winds could hit southern and southeastern Tasmania while downpours weigh on Melbourne and Adelaide.
“This rain is due to a deep low pressure system,” said meteorologist Yoska Hernandez of Weatherzone.
“It will bring heavy rain over the weekend which will be most intense across southern Tasmania, including Hobart.”
“This system is expected to bring more than 100mm by Sunday and strong winds possibly exceeding 100-120km/h, particularly in the south of the state.”
Central and eastern Tasmania, including Hobart, may also experience scattered thunderstorms.
October is typically Tasmania’s wettest month, with an average rainfall of 62.1 mm.
Showers of more than 100 mm could cause flooding and wind damage, particularly in the east and southeast.
Adelaide and Melbourne are also expected to experience rain this weekend.
Both cities will enjoy a sunny Thursday before cloudy conditions arrive from Friday.
Melbourne is expected to see showers on Sunday with a minimum temperature of just 10C.
Showers are expected to hit Adelaide on Saturday before clouds partially clear on Sunday for a sunny start to the week on Monday.
Perth is expected to avoid any rain this weekend, but conditions will become cloudy on Saturday with gray skies for the next week.
Meanwhile, favorable weather conditions could contribute to the fires in central Queensland.
Tasmania is expected to receive more than a month’s worth of rain this weekend (pictured is the seven-day forecast rainfall total for Tasmania)
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services issued an evacuation order for properties near Oyster Creek on Wednesday evening (pictured, Oyster Creek bushfire)
Late Wednesday evening, residents near Oyster Creek, north of Bundaberg, received an emergency warning requiring them to evacuate.
People on properties between Uxbridge Road, Oyster Creek Road, Muller Road and Coast Road, including Kirchner Road, were asked to leave immediately.
“A large, fast-moving fire is burning between Oyster Creek Road and Muller Road. This is expected to impact Oyster Creek Road and Kirchner Road within the next hour,” Queensland Fire and Emergency Services said.
‘LEAVE IMMEDIATELY. Your life could be in danger. It will soon be too dangerous to drive.
Watch and act warnings have been extended to surrounding portions of Deepwater and Baffle Creeks.
Ms Hernandez said stable temperatures and increased air humidity mean the weather conditions will not make the fires worse.
“We expect temperatures today and tomorrow to be around the mid 20s, so not particularly warm,” she said.
“Northerly winds could be worrisome, but they will retain a lot of moisture.”
Nearby Brisbane is expected to remain cloudy until Saturday before sunny skies coupled with a maximum temperature of 31C hits on Sunday.
Parts of Sydney will be on high alert for bushfires, with hot and dry conditions expected to see the danger level reach the extreme.
“This weekend will be mostly dry, sunny and warm,” Ms. Hernandez said.
“Temperatures on Saturday are therefore expected to be between 20 and 20 degrees on Sunday.”
QFES warned “A large fast-moving fire (above) is burning between Oyster Creek Road and Muller Road”
A possible tropical cyclone (above) could form near the Solomon Islands early next week but is not expected to affect Australia.
“This weekend, a trough will occur, which will increase the winds on Saturday.
“Sunday will be drier and warmer due to westerly winds blowing following the trough and the fire risk is expected to be extreme for the greater Sydney area.”
Clouds hanging over Canberra on Thursday are expected to clear on Friday.
Mostly sunny conditions are expected on Saturday before a sunny Sunday.
Maximum temperatures for the weekend will peak at 29°C on Saturday before falling to just 18°C on Sunday.
Meanwhile, a possible tropical cyclone could form off the east coast.
“There is a risk of a tropical cyclone forming near the Solomon Islands early next week,” Ms Hernandez said.
“It is expected to move towards Australia but stay away from the coast, it should not have an impact on the continent and will remain at sea.”
