Rain bomb strikes three Australian states as meteorologists warn the wet weather is set to linger well into the weekend
Australia’s east coast is being battered by rain as experts warn floods and the relentless Big Wet is set to linger well into the weekend and the rest of the year.
Sydney and Brisbane have been hit by showers on Tuesday morning, with the Sunshine State in particular already smashed with heavy rainfall overnight.
Parts of Victoria have also copped a downpour.
Relentless rain has pounded Australia’s east coast with experts warning sun-seekers the deluge is set to linger well into the rest of the year (pictured, rain in Brisbane in February)
NSW, Victoria, and Queensland will face the brunt of the wet weather while southern Western Australia will be hit with wintry conditions with showers, winds, and forecasted hail and thunder (pictured, residents in Lismore inspecting flooded roads in March)
Meanwhile, southern Western Australia is in for wintry conditions with showers, cold and gusty winds expected to strike on Wednesday night and into Thursday.
Forecasters have warned hail and thunder is possible.
The Bureau of Meteorology said May to July rainfall is likely to be above average for most of Australia but will ease by ‘late autumn or early winter’.
However, the country could be soaked with rain and floods for another six months as a third La Nina system is likely, making it Australia’s wettest period in almost 50 years.
This would be the first time Australia has had three consecutive La Nina’s in 22 years and would be the fourth triple La Nina since records began in 1900 – the wettest year recorded was 1974.
The Climate Prediction Centre (CPC) and Columbia University’s International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI) forecast continuing bad weather for Australia.
They made the prediction after analysing sea surface temperature and air pressure differences between Tahiti and Darwin.
Experts have warned the country could be soaked with rain and floods for another six months as a third La Nina system is likely, making it Australia’s wettest period in almost 50 years (pictured, man paddle a canoe in Lennox Head earlier this month)
CPC and IRI’s forecast said La Nina has a 59 per cent chance of continuing through Australia’s winter and a 50 to 55 per cent chance of persisting through spring.
‘It is rare for the footprint of La Nina to still be so well established in both the ocean and the atmosphere at this time of year,’ Weatherzone said.
‘The enduring strength of this current La Nina is something to keep an eye on in the coming weeks and months.’
The warning comes only weeks after the country’s east was devastated by widespread flash flooding that submerged suburbs, destroyed homes, and resulted in the death of 22 people.
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