Powerful winds to batter Australia
A cold front is making its way across the country starting in Western Australia, and it is due to batter South Australia, NSW, the ACT and Victoria in the coming days.
Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Angus Hines warned the front is 'bringing damaging wind gusts today for southwestern parts of the country, then in the coming few days for other areas as well'.
'This thing is moving really, really quickly,' Mr Hines said.
'We're going to see rain and wind pick up across South Australia overnight, tonight through the early hours of Tuesday morning.'
Mr Hines said there would be some rainfall but warned 'it is really the wind that I want to hammer home'.
He said that travel and transport delays looked likely both for air and ground travel.
There is also potential for dangerous driving conditions, particularly for tall vehicles.
In Western Australia, damaging winds will hit people in the Lower West, South West, South Coastal, South East Coastal, Great Southern and parts of Goldfields, Central Wheat Belt and Central West districts.
The gusts will peak on Monday afternoon at about 100km/h and may persist into Tuesday morning.
It is the windiest front of the year so far in the western state.
In South Australia, a warning has been issued for people in the Mount Lofty Ranges, Kangaroo Island and parts of Lower Eyre Peninsula, Yorke Peninsula, Flinders, Mid North, Riverland, Murraylands, Upper South East, Lower South East and North East Pastoral districts.
The damaging winds will hit on Tuesday morning before easing by the afternoon.
Atop the Mount Lofty Ranges peak gusts of up to 100km/h are expected.
The ACT and NSW are set to be lashed by a cold front late on Tuesday and early on Wednesday, with isolated gusts of up to 110km/h expected in the region's alpine peaks.
Blizzards are likely across the western Snowy Mountains, and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service has recommended that back country travel be postponed until conditions improve.
Warnings in the region have been issued for people in the Illawarra, South Coast, Central Tablelands, Southern Tablelands, Snowy Mountains, ACT and South West Slopes forecast districts.
Victoria looks likely to face severe winds on Tuesday, with alpine areas also set to face blizzard conditions.
Damaging winds warnings are in place for people in parts of the Central, East Gippsland, South West, North Central, North East, West and South Gippsland and Wimmera forecast districts.
People in affected areas have been warned to move vehicles under cover or away from trees, secure loose outdoor furniture and items, and to stay indoors when the wind hits.
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