Severe Storms Threaten Eastern Australia with โฃPotential for Tornadoesโ and Giant Hail
Eastern Australia isโ bracing for perhaps severeโข thunderstorms,โ with conditionsโฃ ripeโฃ for the development of supercells capable of producingโข tornadoes and exceptionally large hail. A strong wind shear – currently measured at approximately 60 knots near the Queensland-NSW โฃborder – is a โฃkey factor, exceeding the typical 30 too 40 knot threshold needed for supercell formation.
Supercells are characterized by rotating updrafts, increasing the risk of tornadoes. The Bureau of Meteorology โขis monitoring the situation closely.
Following weekend โthunderstorms,a broad rainband is forecast to โฃsweep across eastern Australia into early next week,extending from the Northern Territory and tropical Queenslandโฃ to Tasmania.While widespread severe weather isn’t expected, moderate rainfall of at least 20 millimetres is likely byโ Tuesday โnight across much of southern and centralโฃ Victoria, Tasmania, โฃand the south-east quarter of NSW. Isolated areas in eastern South Australia โคand the central slopes and ranges of NSW could see rainfall exceed 20mm.
A cold front and an associated low-pressure system forming near the south-east coast could bring rainfall totalsโค closerโ to 50mm, though the exact location of the heaviest rain remains uncertain. A second low will then extend wetโ conditionsโ to Western Australia from โฃTuesday, potentially resulting โฃin rain across nearly all of Australia by Thursday.
