The hot weather is expected to continue across NSW this month. Photo / Simon Bullard, NewsWire
Severe storms are forecast to hit most of New South Wales from Friday afternoon.
The storms are likely to bring destructive winds and large or even giant hail to a large part of the state, from Wollongong, out west past Dubbo, and up the coast to Kempsey.
“Sydney is right in the heart of the severe thunderstorm risk,” Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Angus Hines said.
“It’s certainly shaping up to be quite a stormy afternoon and evening for eastern and northeast NSW.
“We absolutely see the potential there for thunderstorms to begin to develop, and certainly it looks likely that some of the storms will continue to build and strengthen and intensify into severe thunderstorms.”
Thursday’s warm temperatures were forecast to roll into Friday, with the CBD expected to reach 32C and 34C in the western suburbs.
Australia’s biggest city is set to record its hottest October in its 168-year history, with above-average daytime temperatures usually felt in January, Weatherzone reports.
But that should change about 4pm, when the storms come in, when hail and wind will lower the temperature.
“Sometimes severe thunderstorms can also bring really heavy rain, that looks a little bit less of a risk, but the big hailstones and the very strong winds absolutely look to be quite a significant risk,” Hines said.
“The prominence of westerly winds over eastern NSW this month has been driven by a prolonged negative phase of the Southern Annular Mode (SAM),” Hines said.
“Under a negative SAM, westerly winds usually become more prominent over NSW and the easterly winds that cause cloud and rain along the coast become weaker and less frequent.
“The stubborn negative SAM that has underpinned Sydney’s abnormally hot start to October has been a response to a rare episode of stratospheric warming that unfolded high above Antarctica in late September and early October.
“These stratospheric warming events are rare in the southern hemisphere and their influence on Australian weather is still an active area of research.”
The hot weather is expected to continue across NSW this month, as hot inland air blows towards the east coast.
Temperatures in Sydney could reach 32C on Friday, but the mercury will fall after thunderstorms in the afternoon.
The warm winds are expected to hit several states.
“Warm, gusty north to north-westerly winds will stream across parts of South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and even parts of NSW,” Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Miriam Bradbury said.
South Australian residents are also set to swelter this week, with the temperature in one area of the state tipped to reach a whopping 45C.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a warning for South Australian residents as severe thunderstorms, extreme fire dangers and strong, blistering winds pass over the state this week.
Driven by a low-pressure trough, temperatures are forecast to climb well above the average for this time of the year.
“We are looking at temperatures eight to 15 degrees above the average,” Bradbury said.
On Thursday, residents can expect thunderstorms moving eastwards from the southern region of South Australia to western parts of Victoria.
It’s not just South Australians facing a wild week of weather, with maximum temperatures forecast to vary by a whopping 15C across Australia.
The bureau forecast temperatures to rise by up to 10C higher than the seasonal average.
Adelaide is forecast for 21C on Friday, but the temperature in the City of Churches will be back up to 28C on Saturday.
Brisbane temperatures, meanwhile, have been around the 26-28C mark.
Hobart temperatures are expected to rise from 17C on Tuesday to 26C on Thursday before falling again, while Canberra temperatures will likely rise from 22C to 27C by Thursday.
In the west, Perth is expected to be hit by temperatures of 29C on Friday, while in the north, Darwin temperatures will stay in the 35C range with the chance of storms.
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