Powerful ‘bomb cyclone' to smash NSW, residents urged to prepare now
Residents in NSW are being urged to prepare now as a powerful 'bomb cyclone' bears down on the state.
The Bureau of Meteorology's Daniel Hayes said 'bomb cyclone' - or 'bombogenesis' - described a low pressure system that formed 'very quickly', causing pressure to drop significantly within a short period of time.
He said the trough was sitting off NSW and would start bringing rainfall and possible thunderstorms to northern parts of the coast on Monday.
'Pretty much from the Mid-North Coast up towards the Northern Rivers,' Mr Hayes said.
'As we see that continue to deepen and strengthen up, the focus for the rainfall will be on the south side of that low pressure system.
'So around more Central Coast areas through (Tuesday) and potentially further south along the coast, as the low pressure system itself shifts further south through Tuesday and into Wednesday.'
Sydney could cop more than 200mm of rain in the next week, and parts of the Mid-North Coast could record up to 300mm.
NSW SES has now activated all 11,000 of its volunteers in preparation for the wild weather, and are urging members of the community to get ready.
NSW SES Acting Assistant Commissioner Allison Flaxman said property damage from destructive winds and flash flooding were significant risks amid the 'dynamic' weather system.
'People should prepare now by tying down any loose items around their homes so they don't become projectiles and damage property in the forecast wind,' she said.
'Be alert today so you're safe tomorrow, by understanding your risk and planning what you will do and where you will go if you are impacted by flash flooding or riverine rises.'
The BOM has issued an initial flood warning for several NSW catchments including the Hawkesbury-Nepean, Georges, Cooks, Sydney Coast, and Illawarra Coast.
Mr Hayes said flood warnings had been issued to cover 'a fairly wide area' at this stage, given uncertainty of the system's movements.
'We could see some flash flooding as well as river flooding out of this system, depending on just how quickly some of this rainfall falls and how concentrated those falls are in local areas,' he said.
'We do expect to see further warnings issued for NSW today, basically for the developing situation.
'Once the system starts to have some significant impacts, there could be additional, more localised warnings issued ... so certainly people (should) keep an eye out for warnings and track the situation.'
Inland areas of NSW and Victoria were tipped to see frost and fog on Monday morning, with frost warnings issued for the Northern Country, North East, and East Gippsland forecast districts.
Melbourne is expected to hit a top of 14C with partly cloudy conditions and the chance of a shower.
Those in Brisbane are likely in for a rainy day with a top of 17C, while Adelaide residents can expect a mostly sunny day with a maximum of 15C.
Temperatures are tipped to reach 13C in Canberra after a freezing start, with a similarly chilly 12C forecast for Hobart.
Monday is likely to be warm and sunny for those in Darwin with a high of 31C.
Perth is expected to reach 23C with a mostly sunny morning before a high chance of showers in the afternoon and evening.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
3 hours ago
- News.com.au
Virgin Australia warns of flight disruption as ‘bomb cyclone' nears NSW north coast
Flights are likely to be disrupted in the coming days as a destructive weather system rages towards the NSW north coast. Virgin Australia issued a warning on Monday evening for travellers heading to or from Sydney and Newcastle as the storm system loomed closer. 'Forecast adverse weather conditions are likely to affect our Sydney and Newcastle schedule on Tuesday,' a spokesman said. 'The safety of our guests and crew is our highest priority and we encourage those travelling tomorrow to keep an eye on the status on their flight via our website or app.' No flights have been cancelled at the time of writing, and passengers on flights that may be affected have been contacted. Jetstar is also yet to cancel any flights, but NewsWire understands the airline is closely monitoring the progress of the storm. Qantas has been contacted for comment. The powerful 'bomb cyclone' is expected to hit large parts of the NSW coastline over the next few days, with Bureau of Meteorology hazard preparedness manager Steven Bernasconi warning of flash flooding, and thunderstorms that bring heavy rain, damaging winds and even water spouts. The coastal trough is currently deepening off the North Coast and is expected to evolve into multiple low pressure systems off the coast on Monday night, with rainfall and possible thunderstorms likely along northern parts of the coast overnight. From there, the system will track slowly southward along the NSW coast on Tuesday, with the heaviest rainfall expected from the Hunter in the north to the Illawarra in the south on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Bureau of Meteorology's Daniel Hayes said a 'bomb cyclone' – or 'bombogenesis' – was a low pressure system that formed 'very quickly', causing pressure to drop significantly within a short period of time. 'As we see (the trough) continue to deepen and strengthen up, the focus for the rainfall will be on the south side of that low pressure system,' he said on Monday. 'So around more Central Coast areas through (Tuesday) and potentially further south along the coast, as the low pressure system itself shifts further south through Tuesday and into Wednesday.' Sydney could cop more than 200mm of rain in the next week, and parts of the Mid-North Coast could record up to 300mm. Rainfall is expected to ease by Thursday.
AU Financial Review
5 hours ago
- AU Financial Review
What is bombogenesis? The wild storm front hitting the east coast
The Bureau of Meteorology is urging NSW and north-east Victorian coastal residents to prepare for flash flooding and damaging winds on Monday night as a 'bomb cyclone' makes landfall. All coastal areas from Bairnsdale in Victoria's east to Port Macquarie in mid-northern NSW are expected to receive significant rainfall and gale force wind starting Monday night and continuing through to Wednesday.
ABC News
7 hours ago
- ABC News
The weather system brewing off NSW could be the first east coast low in three years
New South Wales residents are being told to prepare for a powerful low-pressure system the Bureau of Meteorology says will "drench and batter" the east coast over the coming week. Forecasts are even flagging the potential for it to develop into an "east coast low" — one of the most dangerous weather systems the region experiences. If it does, it would be the first east coast low in three years. So what exactly are east coast lows and what makes them so dangerous? Broadly, an east coast low is an intense low-pressure system that develops on or near the east coast of Australia. But they're no ordinary storms. What sets them apart from the more typical low-pressure systems, according to Bureau of Meteorology community information officer Daniel Hayes, is their impact. "So, something bringing extreme rainfall, storm-force winds and large waves." To be able to bring this impact, the system needs to tick a few boxes. Firstly, according to Mr Hayes, it must be strong. "An east coast low is first and foremost an intense low-pressure system that forms quite quickly. So it has to get to be a strong low-pressure system, such that it can have a large impact," he said. Secondly, it must be near the coast. "To have an impact it has to be within a couple of hundred kilometres of the coast. If it's too far out, it doesn't matter how strong it is, it won't have nearly as much impact." And thirdly, it needs to hang around for an extended period of time — generally "at least 12 hours", according to Mr Hayes. This means its effects can last much longer — producing long periods of heavy rainfall and flooding, damaging winds and very large swell. With the exception of rare southern-tracking tropical cyclones, east coast lows are the most significant weather systems to impact south-east Queensland and eastern parts of New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. Though they are different from tropical cyclones, which are born in warm tropical waters, they can produce winds up to category two cyclone level. "They can be very similar [in their impacts], because largely they have the same mechanisms for causing an impact: heavy rainfall, strong winds, and they can develop large and powerful surf," he said. A look at past events reveals east coast lows have been behind some of Australia's worst natural disasters, including the deadly 1998 Sydney to Hobart race in which six sailors died. Latest forecasts show the low-pressure system developing off the New South Wales coast has the potential to form into an east coast low, with the impacts lasting several days. However, Mr Hayes said it may not reach to east coast low status due to its impact potentially being softened by another low-pressure system nearby. "It's complicated by the fact that we do have another low-pressure system developing off the coast as well, and the two are going to interact somewhat," he said. "They may end up cancelling each other out to some extent and reducing the overall impact." The interaction between the two low-pressure systems is known as "dumbbelling", with the systems rotating around each other. Regardless of whether it does get named a true east coast low, Mr Hayes said severe weather was still likely with the potential for damaging winds, heavy rainfall and flooding and powerful waves. "We are expecting to see significant impacts out of this. Mr Hayes said rain and showers, with the potential for thunderstorms, were forecast to develop around the northern New South Wales coast from Monday afternoon. But he said the main impacts would begin on Tuesday, as the system deepened and pushed further south toward Sydney and Wollongong. A severe weather warning has been issued for areas stretching from Lismore to just south of Woolongong, with damaging winds averaging 60 to 70 kilometres per hour, with peak gusts up to 100kph from Tuesday. These winds are expected to linger throughout Wednesday, potentially even lasting into Thursday. Mr Hayes said significant rainfall was also forecast for some parts of the coast, particularly on the southern side of the system around Illawarra, the NSW south coast and southern parts of Sydney. "The rainfall is likely to be somewhat concentrated on the southern side," he said "So while we might very well see 50 to 150 millimetres of rain in the 48 hours from Tuesday into Wednesday, we could see some areas that do go higher than that and push up to the 200 millimetre range," he said. "On the northern side, we are likely to be seeing that rain starting to taper off after today." East coast lows are most common during late autumn into winter. Their frequency depends on the definition used, but on average, there are around two severe events per year, which generate daily rain totals in excess of 100mm. However, it has been three years since Australia has seen one reach the threshold. Research indicates that east coast lows are projected to become less frequent with climate change, particularly during the cooler months of the year. However, those that do occur are likely to be more intense and potentially more hazardous, with rising sea levels exacerbating coastal impacts.
