Large sections of eastern Australia experienced severe weather on Sunday as a multi-state storm system brought intense thunderstorms, heavy rainfall, and strong winds, with authorities warning that the conditions could persist into Monday. The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) issued severe thunderstorm warnings for Sydney, the greater Wollongong region, and areas including the Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury, Gosford, Wyong, Wollondilly, and Wingecarribee.
The storm system had already swept through western New South Wales by midday Sunday, producing wind gusts estimated at up to 100 kilometers per hour in the central west of the state. Eight flood warnings remained active across southern Queensland, where extended periods of heavy rain had resulted in rising river levels and localized flooding.
“This is a multi-state system of storms and it’s unusually large,” said Bureau meteorologist David Crock. He explained that a high-pressure system anchored over the Tasman Sea for the past ten days had blocked weather fronts, contributing to persistent storms and rain in southern Queensland. The advancing storm represented a strong system disrupting this blocking pattern, typically leading to severe weather.
Cooler air moving from the west introduced tropical moisture from the north, generating storm conditions in central New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory by Sunday afternoon. A large line of storms stretched from the Snowy Mountains northward to the Queensland border. Forecasters were also monitoring the possibility of an additional storm band developing behind this initial front.
Storm activity was expected to extend into Sunday evening and continue on Monday, particularly in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland, as the cold front progressed. Crock noted that Monday would likely mark the final phase of the intense weather system, offering relief for residents in southeast Queensland, which had experienced significant rainfall over the previous week.
Southern Queensland has faced rapid shifts in weather conditions over recent days — described as "weather whiplash" — with some areas seeing rainfall amounts multiple times above the monthly average after a dry September. Between 200 and 400 millimeters of rain fell in parts of the Sunshine Coast region during this period. The Mary River downstream of Gympie was forecast to reach major flood levels at Tiaro by Sunday evening and into Monday.
Meanwhile, coastal showers were anticipated across Victoria and Tasmania, with snowfall expected above 800 meters in Tasmania. Western Australia was set to experience continued cooler conditions on Monday, with showers possible in the southwest.
Looking ahead, the Bureau of Meteorology's long-range forecast for November through January indicates likely above-average rainfall across much of the country, excluding the far north and much of Tasmania. Temperatures in southern Australia are expected to be warmer than normal, particularly overnight lows. The bureau’s historical climate data shows that Australia has warmed by approximately 1.5 degrees Celsius since 1910, reflecting ongoing impacts of global climate change.