Recovery efforts ramp up in NSW after deadly floods
Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews are continuing to provide specialist assistance to aid communities on the state's north and mid-north coast.
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News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
First week of winter brings extreme weather to southern Australia
Heavy rain is expected to smash southwestern WA, as two cold systems bring wintry weather to Tasmania and southeastern mainland Australia after the nation's unseasonably warm autumn. Senior Meteorologist Rob Sharpe revealed on Tuesday Australia as a whole had experienced its fourth warmest autumn on record. 'It was a warmer autumn, particularly for the southwest and southeast, where, as a whole, those two regions were the warmest on record,' Mr Sharpe said. 'For the country as a whole, it was the fourth warmest on record for autumn.' However conditions are now expected to rapidly cool as the country enters the first week of winter. A band of wet and stormy weather is moving toward the west coast and will likely bring rain from the corner of the Pilbara and Gayscoyne down to into the southern districts of WA on Monday. 'One of the primary impacts as this (moves) on to the country today is going to be thunderstorms,' Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Angus Hines said. 'And in particular the risk is there for some severe thunderstorms. 'Severe thunderstorms can be classified as such for a variety of reasons, and today it looks like the most likely impact would be damaging wind gusts.' Mr Hines said the wind could cause damage to trees which could fall onto cars and properties, cause power outages and warned there is also a chance of flash flooding. 'This is all happening on Monday, but it's not just a one day weather event … Tuesday, we'll see something quite similar,' he said. 'Our initial band pushes inland, but that's followed up by this further mix of showers and storms and cold winds onto the southwest coast, which is going to last right through Tuesday in fact, into Wednesday.' Mr Hines said rainfall totals would be heaviest from Perth down the far-south west coast, measuring between 50mm and 100mm from Monday to Wednesday. Despite the incoming deluge, Perth is expected to reach mild maximum temperatures of 21C on Tuesday, and 20C on Wednesday. On the eastern side of the country, two separate cold systems are also expected to roll through Tasmania and southeastern mainland Australia this week. 'The big story here is the winds. They're southerly and they're bringing in that cold,' Mr Sharpe said. 'By tomorrow [Tuesday], Victoria and Tasmania will be much colder. We'll be feeling the chill by Wednesday right across south eastern parts of the country.' The bureau has predicted possible thunderstorms in Victoria on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. A low off northeastern NSW may bring showers to the region, and some of the coldest maximums of the year thus far. The bureau has issued a warning to sheep graziers in parts of the Snowy Mountains on Tuesday, as the conditions may lead to a loss of lamb and sheep. There is also a marine wind warning in place for various locations on the NSW coast on Tuesday. As the weekend approaches, so does a second cold front – a polar air mass which will move towards southeastern Australia. It is expected to bring snow to the highest parts of the mainland region on Saturday. WeatherZone reports later on Sunday into Monday, a more significant cold outbreak will then hit the same part of the country. On Tuesday, Sydney is set to reach a maximum of 16C, with south-westerly winds between 25 to 35 km/h and possible showers in the evening expected. Canberra residents will shiver through the morning, with a minimum of 1C predicted, although they may get the opportunity to thaw out by lunchtime, with maximums of 17C expected. Melbourne is set for a gloomy Tuesday, with a very high chance of showers and cloudy conditions slated. The maximum temperature will be a brisk 14C. It will be even cooler in Hobart, with the temperature set to reach only 12C. There is a medium chance of showers for the city. There is also a slight chance of showers in the morning for Brisbane, but it will likely become a mostly sunny day reaching tops of 25C. Darwin will enjoy a mostly sunny day, with temperatures reaching 31C.
News.com.au
6 hours ago
- News.com.au
Milk, butter prices tipped to soar as floods, droughts squeeze beleaguered Aussie dairy farmers
Milk and butter prices are predicted to surge, with floods destroying dairy farms in NSW and the driest conditions on record crippling those in Victoria and South Australia. Many NSW farmers are embarking on gruelling post-flood clean-up efforts, returning to their properties to find their cattle dead or missing, fences and infrastructure destroyed, and machinery submerged in flood waters that will likely need to be replaced. Dams and paddocks are also dry in Victoria and South Australia, with fodder prices reaching nearly double their usual amount. 'I think the whole eastern seaboard is going to feel the shortage of milk and dairy products one way or the other,' EastAUSMilk president Joe Bradley told The Age. 'There's no ifs or buts … it's a disaster. Prices have to rise.' EastAusmilk chief executive Eric Danzi warned this may be the first time many Australians see the devastation of the floods would be when they go to their local supermarket. 'There is going to be a real shortage of milk and products,' he told 2GB. 'How that plays through to consumers I don't know. 'Between the floods now, ex- Cyclone Alfred and the drought in South Australia as well as Victoria you're going to have a massive reduction in milk production across Australia.' Leaders of the Australian dairy industry have called on governments to take immediate action. 'More than 40 per cent of Australia's dairy farmers are in drought, many of them battling the driest conditions on record, including in South Australia, South West Victoria, and extending into Gippsland, Northern Victoria and southern NSW,' a statement from industry body Australian Dairy Farmers said. 'Meanwhile, dairy farmers in NSW are cleaning up after a 1-in-500 year flood. 'We've issued an urgent plea to state and federal governments for meaningful support for dairy farmers.' Among the requests is for the NSW government to roll out Category D and C disaster grants. Currently, personal hardship assistance grants of $180 per individual or $900 per family are available, along with $1m community recovery grants for affected local councils. NSW Nationals leader Dugald Saunders said that these are not going far enough to support flood-impacted residents. 'When you've got people who have lost literally everything – whether it's their home in town or their home out of town, and their hundred cattle or two hundred cattle, or all their fences or all of their fodder crops … 180 bucks or 900 bucks isn't going to help,' he told 2GB. 'Category D means everything is on the table. There are primary producer grants, there are small business grants, there are more household grants available, there are more council grants available.' Over the past two weeks, a majority of Victoria received 20 per cent or less of the average typical rainfall expected in May, and the latest reporting from the Bureau of Meteorology indicated these conditions are likely to continue into June. The Victorian Government on Friday announced it will deliver a new and expanded Drought Package due to the worsening conditions – supported by an additional $37.7 million in funding. New analysis by the Treasury estimated that the immediate loss of economic activity from natural disasters so far in 2025 will be $2.2 billion.
ABC News
8 hours ago
- ABC News
Aurora australis thrills light show chasers
Australian stargazers enjoyed a brilliant show Sunday night, with auroras illuminating the dark winter sky with pink and green hues. In areas as far north as Tamworth in New South Wales, clear skies aligned with a geomagnetic storm to show off a vibrant aurora australis that was visible to the naked eye. Astronomer Fred Watson said it was "quite unusual to see the aurora this far north", and that a particularly strong solar storm was behind its visibility. Auroras are caused by geomagnetic storms, which in turn, are triggered by ejections of material from the Sun into space. In a geomagnetic storm, atoms of oxygen and nitrogen in the atmosphere emit the bright, colourful lights that create auroras. "The more active the energy is, the closer to the equator it can be seen," Dr Watson said. Cressida Toorenburg was lucky enough to catch the light show in East Devonport, Tasmania after clouds parted overhead. "We sat for half an hour in the hope that the clouds would move away and then wow," she said. "There was Lady Aurora! It was breathtaking — you could see her with the naked eye, but much bigger and brighter through the screen on my phone." Ms Toorenburg said she has lived in the area for seven years and never seen an aurora as dazzling. "The colours were so beautiful and vibrant," she said. Separately, a meteor lit up Sydney skies about 6pm on Sunday. Australian National University astrophysicist Brad Tucker said Sunday's especially visible auroras were caused by a strong solar storm. "The bigger the storm that leaves the Sun, the more likely the aurora is to be on Earth and the stronger the aurora is," he said. He said aurora fans should get outside just after sunset Monday night for another chance to catch some colour. An updated geomagnetic warning published by the Australian Space Weather Forecasting Centre (ASWFC) says increased activity is expected to continue until June 3. Monday's forecast carries a G-scale rating of 4 out of 5, which indicates a higher chance of a light show. The ASWFC, which is part of the Bureau of Meteorology, sends out geomagnetic storm alerts via email. If you sign up to the ASWFC alerts via this online portal, you'll get an email when there's an alert. Here are some more stunning photos taken of the aurora overnight.
