Heaviest rain and snow in years ahead for southern Australia
After two years of high-pressure domination, a triplet of low-pressure systems is about to deliver rain across nearly every agricultural region of Australia, and for once, the best falls will reach all the right places.
Rainfall this week is likely to be the heaviest in one to two years for much of South Australia and the southern Murray Basin, while many Western Australian farmers are rejoicing through the wettest July in four years.
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ABC News
3 hours ago
- ABC News
Two found dead in car as Cyprus wildfire rages on
Firefighters in Cyprus are battling for a second day to control a massive wildfire which has engulfed mountain villages in the eastern Mediterranean island. Two people were found dead in their car, trapped by the blaze which started on Wednesday, local time. Scores of homes were destroyed as people fled their homes overnight from a towering wall of flames north of the city of Limassol. Although the cause was not immediately known, authorities said they would be looking at the possibility of arson. "It was sheer hell," said Father Michalis, a Greek Orthodox priest who had to evacuate his village. After subsiding early Thursday, authorities were struggling to contain flare-ups at midday, stoked by strong winds. "Our focus right now is to control the fire, utilising to the maximum all ground and air forces," government spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis said. "We are facing an unprecedented situation." The fire, which broke out Wednesday amid 44-degree heat and strong winds, tore through at least 100 square kilometres, devastating a wine-producing region already suffering from drought. A new amber warning was in place on Thursday, with highs forecast to hit 44 degrees Celsius — the hottest of the year so far. Cyprus has struggled with a drought, pushing scarce water resources to critically low levels. The affected area sits just north of Cyprus's Kouris reservoir, the island's largest. It was at just over 15 per cent of its capacity on Wednesday. Although heatwaves and wildfires are common in this region, their impact on human life and the damage has become much more pronounced in recent years. "It's an unspeakable tragedy for everyone … Unfortunately, we'll no longer have this paradise that we enjoyed for so many years," said resident Kostas Hatzikonstantinou. Burned-out cars, collapsed roofs, and blackened churches lay in the hillside villages of Souni and nearby Kantou, where firefighting helicopters continued dumping water on smouldering ground. Firefighters across Türkiye also battled multiple wildfires on Thursday amid a heatwave that killed 10 firefighters. At least six separate wildfires burned across Turkey and Turkish Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli warned that strong winds and scorching heat were creating extremely dangerous conditions. Late on Wednesday, Yumakli said 10 firefighters were killed while battling a fire in the central Eskisehir province, adding that 14 others were injured. Reuters/ABC
News.com.au
6 hours ago
- News.com.au
Weekend weather update: Millions set for weekend drenching
Millions of Aussies are set for a weekend soaking with extensive rain and wild wind forecasted as a deep cold front pushes across the nation. The Bureau of Meteorology Meteorologist Mirium Bradbury said on Thursday afternoon a 'broad reaching rain band' was moving across the country, with 'damaging winds likely for some parts of Australia over the coming days'. 'Fairly widespread moderate rainfall totals across much of Australia over the coming days as this rain system moves eastwards,' she said. 'But the area I really want to focus on is this area in the southeast, including parts of South Australia, western Victoria and inland NSW. 'These areas have seen significant rainfall deficits over the past six, 12, even 18 months. 'The rain that we're expecting over the coming days is not going to do too much to dent these long term deficits, but it is going to be good news for many of our communities through these very dry parts of Australia. However, it's not without its own hazards.' Ms Bradbury warned 20 to 40mm was expected for many areas through South Australia and western Victoria with roads at risk of flooding. 'This could lead to very dangerous driving conditions, as those roads grow slippery with the rain and visibility reduces as well. 'The other key impact we're expecting as this system moves across the country are the damaging winds. 'We've already issued severe weather warnings for damaging winds across four separate states of Australia. Queensland, the Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia. Ms Bradbury said that the risk of damaging winds was mainly focused on Friday but the south coast of Western Australia could see some damaging gusts through Thursday evening. 'So what's driving all of this wet and windy weather? The answer to that is a cold front,' she said. 'It crossed the west coast yesterday, bringing some fairly significant thunderstorms to the Perth area and it's now moving across those inland parts of Western Australia, directing a broad rain band across much of WA. 'The system is attached to a low pressure system sitting to the south of the continent, and that low is going to help push this cold front and the rain band eastwards over the next few days.' Heading into Friday the cold front is predicted to pull the rain band eastwards and introduce rain across eastern parts of South Australia, Western Victoria, NSW and southern parts of Queensland. 'The rain will be widespread, soaking and lasting for a number of hours. Unlike the patchier showers we're expecting to pull up behind that frontal system. 'The winds are also expected to really increase through the course of (Friday). 'That band of strong winds shifts into the eastern states late Friday into Saturday as the front pushes eastwards and we see those strong winds moving across the east coast through the course of Saturday, before the system gradually starts to move offshore and the winds start to ease.' Ms Bradbury advised keeping on top of all warnings and updates especially for the areas most in the firing line around eastern South Australia, Victoria and inland NSW. 'Friday and Saturday are definitely looking likely to be the wettest days as this system moves across the country.' Outside of the cold front Darwin remains clear with light winds highs of 31 and lows of 22 over the weekend. Brisbane will see some lingering showers after the weekend before dipping on Tuesday to a minimum of 9 degrees. Melbourne and Sydney will likewise experience scattered showers with temperatures expected to be within the normal range for this time of year. After the weekend soaking Adelaide is expected to remain cloudy with north-easterly winds of around 20km/h.
News.com.au
13 hours ago
- News.com.au
Tornado rips through Perth's City Beach, destroying multimillion-dollar homes
A freak so-called tornado has left an incredible trail of destruction in one of Perth's most prestigious suburbs, destroying multimillion-dollar homes and leaving streets resembling war zones. Wild weather hit the city on Wednesday afternoon, in particular City Beach, where several homes lost their roofs and experienced other severe damage. Video footage shows the path of chaos starting at City Beach Oval and then into the suburb, with roofs off properties, trees strewn across the road and fences down. One City Beach family left without a roof on their multimillion-dollar home. The family of four were at home on Kalari Drive relaxing on the couch when the wind gust ripped away the roof of the master bedroom, making room for rain to pour onto the furniture. Solar panels which were attached to the roof flew onto the neighbours roofs and into their backyards. Fortunately, nobody was hurt. The family was looking for a hotel to book on Wednesday night and until the damage is repaired. 'I heard a huge bang and I thought all the windows would implode,' one family member said. Another family living nearby on Marapana Road watched their backyard get crumpled by falling trees. 'I was just sitting in the kitchen, and I was looking out into our backyard, the pool area and this whole lot of darkness just filled up the air,' the homeowner, who did not want to be named, said. 'It was obviously dust and debris... it was pretty wild. 'There was a lot of rain and a lot of wind, it was torrential, it was very heavy. 'We went outside when it cooled down a little bit, and we've got trees from next door that have fallen in, we've got two other property's fences caved in, we've got people's chairs, people's bins just come out of nowhere. 'Our yard is demolished basically.' Video footage shows a cloud formation in the sky which appears to look like a tornado, however authorities are yet to officially confirm. The damage left at City Beach's Lentara Crescent was extreme. Big trees fell across the road, rendering it almost undriveable. A fence was completely torn from the side of one house and thrown towards the other side of the street. The roof of a carport was caved in, with bricks toppled onto the road and windows of the home smashed. State Emergency Service crews were seen at the home doing their best to secure what they could. A strong wind warning was in place on Wednesday night for the Perth coast. The trail of destruction left by a 'freak' tornado on Wednesday, Swanbourne had experienced 20.2mm of rain since 9am on Wednesday, with a wind gust of 50km/h recorded just before 4pm. Meanwhile, wind gusts of 76km/h were recorded at Rottnest Island and 73km/h at Garden Island. Main Roads WA was warning motorists to take care on Wednesday evening, with the Causeway flooded after Adelaide Terrace in the city. The Weather Bureau is forecasting a maximum temperature of just 14C in Perth on Thursday, with a chance of a thunderstorm near the coast in the early morning. Last year, a tornado caused major damage to dozens of homes when it tore through Bunbury.
