Australia Battered by Intense Bomb Cyclone
Coastal communities face flooding, power outages, and travel disruptions.
A powerful bomb cyclone is currently impacting the eastern coast of Australia, unleashing destructive winds and torrential rainfall. New South Wales is experiencing widespread flooding and power outages as a result.
Widespread Damage Reported
Across the Central Coast and Newcastle regions, more than 30,000 **Ausgrid** customers are without power. The State Emergency Service has been overwhelmed with approximately 1500 calls for assistance in the last 24 hours, primarily related to fallen trees, roof damage, and flooding.
Some locations have already recorded over 200mm of rainfall and wind gusts reaching 125km/h. Evacuations have been ordered for residents in vulnerable low-lying areas like Wamberal and The Entrance North, where surf surges and coastal erosion pose a significant threat to properties.
Travel Disrupted
High winds have forced **Sydney** Airport to operate with only one runway, leading to numerous flight cancellations and delays. According to FlightAware, over 200 flights within, into, or out of Australia have been delayed today alone, with dozens cancelled as of early afternoon (FlightAware 2024).
While New South Wales has experienced severe weather events recently, including bushfires and floods, meteorologists are describing the current bomb cyclone as exceptionally damaging, because it combines intense rain, strong winds, and coastal impacts.
What is a Bomb Cyclone?
Meteorologists use the term bomb cyclone
to describe a low-pressure system that undergoes rapid intensification, with its atmospheric pressure dropping by at least 24 millibars within a 24-hour period. This rapid intensification results in extreme weather conditions such as gale-force winds, heavy rainfall, and powerful surf.
Bomb cyclones are more common in the Northern Hemisphere. They are rare in Australia, especially those forming so close to the coast.
New Zealand Impact
Although the storm’s center remains over the Tasman Sea near Australia, its outer bands are influencing weather patterns in New Zealand, particularly in the upper North Island. A Heavy Rain Watch and Strong Wind Watch have been issued for Auckland and Northland by **MetService** for Thursday.
Forecasters are warning of potential surface flooding and travel disruptions, with gusts that may reach severe gale force in exposed areas. As the system pushes a wide area of moisture and instability across New Zealand, **Wellington** and **Christchurch** are also expected to experience rain and cooler temperatures from Thursday.
Coastal communities and boaters in northern New Zealand should anticipate hazardous marine conditions, as swell and wind from the Tasman Sea are expected to increase sharply later in the week.
Long-range forecasts from **NIWA** indicate that unsettled conditions may persist throughout July, particularly in the north. It is expected that warmer-than-average sea temperatures in the Tasman Sea will contribute to more episodes of heavy rainfall this winter.
New Zealanders are urged to monitor **MetService** forecasts closely, exercise caution near beaches and waterways in the upper North Island, and prepare for possible disruptions to domestic transport and flights later this week.
