'Explosive' weather to smash Australia with 'severe' storms, heavy rain

Another round of wild weather will lash the country’s east with widespread heavy rain and “severe” thunderstorms this weekend, once again placing flood-stricken communities on high alert.

The low-pressure trough that drenched South Australia on Saturday, putting a damper on the National Christmas Pageant in Adelaide, is expected to extend to the Northern Territory, Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales.

“The latter three of which will see the most explosive storms on Sunday,” a meteorologist with Weatherzone.com.au said.

Heavy rain and thunderstorm activity are expected to stretch from Tasmania all the way up to Mount Isa, “with many severe thunderstorms likely particularly through southern Queensland and much of inland NSW and northeastern Victoria,” the Bureau of Meteorology said.

“These storms could have damaging to destructive winds, large to possibly giant hail and bring very heavy rainfall leading to flash flooding. And while these storms will be localised, we’re still expecting some big impacts here with widespread rainfall for our flood affected communities of NSW and northern Victoria.”

The “dangerously unstable atmosphere” could also produce tornados, Weatherzone.com.au warned.

The system is predicted to clear the east coast late on Monday, with Queensland the last to escape its lingering grip on Tuesday. However, a “big burst of cold and showery winds” will immediately follow, possibly bringing snow to alpine areas early next week, the BoM said.

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Renewed flooding threat for Victoria, NSW

Victorian communities are bracing for another potential flood emergency with up to 90 millimetres of rain is forecast for some areas on Sunday. More than 50 emergency alerts are in place across the state — including a flood warning for the Murray River — amid concerns parts of Melbourne and the riverine communities could see flash flooding.

It's feared water could rise to about the same level as the devastating 1975 floods in low-lying areas along the Murray such as Mildura, Robinvale, Boundary Bend and Wakool Junction. Forecasters expect above average rainfall in Victoria to persist for another six to eight weeks.

NSW residents have also been warned to prepare for a "dangerous" weekend.

"This rainfall is combining with already saturated catchments and full river systems which will unfortunately lead to more flooding across many parts. We are expecting renewed minor to major flooding to levels experienced over the last few weeks," NSW SES Commissioner Carlene York said on Friday.

Major flood warnings are active for the Barwon, Darling, Macquarie, Lachlan, Murrumbidgee, Murray, Bogan, Namoi, Narran and Culgoa rivers. More than 90 hazard alerts are current across the state, with evacuation orders in place for central western Condobolin, Collarenebri in the northwest and the Alice Edwards Village at Bourke in the far northwest.

The SES has cautioned people to watch out for landslips and falling trees, with some areas expecting flash flooding from short bursts of rain.

With AAP

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