What to expect as ‘bomb cyclone' nears NSW north coast
Australians should brace for a 'vigorous' weather system forecast to bring heavy rain, damaging surf and strong winds on the east coast starting on Tuesday morning.
The NSW coast, from Coffs Harbour to Bega in the south, is in the firing line of a fast-moving coastal low, with the Bureau of Meteorology warning it may also smash the Sydney metropolitan area.
The Hunter and Mid North Coast, including Newcastle, face damaging wind gusts of up to 120km/h from dawn, followed by heavy rainfall likely leading to flash flooding.
Flights are likely to be disrupted in the coming days as the destructive weather system rages from the north to the south.
'This is a very dynamic and fast-moving system, very different to the systems that we have seen in recent times,' NSW SES Deputy Commissioner Debbie Platz warned.
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.
Qantas said it is monitoring the situation very closely and anticipate some cancellations tomorrow as Airservices Australia reduces the flying in and out of Sydney. Any affected customers will be updated by the airline.
Jetstar is also yet to cancel any flights, but NewsWire understands the airline is closely monitoring the progress of the storm.
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.
NSW SES has activated all 11,000 of its volunteers in preparation for the wild weather, and is urging members of the community to get ready.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
35 minutes ago
- ABC News
What to expect from 'bomb cyclone' confirmed for Sydney, NSW coast weather
A "bomb cyclone" has now formed in the western Tasman Sea, and its intensification is showing signs of being even more explosive than initially forecast. Along with its strength, the other key concern is the system's location — developing in close proximity to the coast which will ensure significant impacts for New South Wales, including Sydney. The low's coastal position will also nearly guarantee it becomes the first East Coast Low in three years, triggering the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) to issue multiple weather warnings for flooding rain, gale force winds and damaging surf. The pressure began falling on Monday afternoon off the NSW north coast as polar air over the south-east inland clashed with warm humid air off the Tasman Sea. By the evening, a fully formed low had developed just east of Grafton, with its central pressure dropping at a rate of 5 hectopascals (hPa) per six hours. Unsurprisingly rainfall across north-east NSW also increased through Monday, and by 6pm up to 50 millimetres was recorded near the coast. The low deepened further overnight while moving slowly south and is on track for a 24-hour drop in pressure of around 25hPA — well above the threshold for a bomb cyclone of 15hPa, at 32 degrees latitude. Heavy rain circulating around the low is now soaking the lower Mid North Coast and Hunter, and winds are nearing gale force along the exposed Mid North and Hunter coasts. The weather will continue to deteriorate through Tuesday as the low reaches a peak, including an increase in the intensity of rain, wind and surf. Here is a breakdown of the full impacts during the next 48 hours. The heaviest rain on Tuesday will gradually shift south down the coast, spreading from the Mid North Coast through the Hunter, Sydney, Illawarra and upper south coast. Twenty-four hour totals from midnight to midnight are likely to average around 50 to 100mm across these districts within 50 to 100 kilometres off the coast, although some modelling is tipping more than 100mm along the coastal fringe. At the higher end of this range, totals would exceed the July average in less than 24 hours — enough to trigger areas of flash flooding, including around Newcastle, Sydney and Wollongong. River flooding is also possible, although the concentration of heavy falls near the coast is why the BOM's flood watch is only for minor flooding — since moderate and major flood events typically rely on heavy rain spreading further inland across river catchments to the Great Dividing Range. The heaviest rain and flood risk will then shift to the south coast and Gippsland on Wednesday, and again totals should average up to around 100mm but with pockets above that mark. It's possible heavy rain on Wednesday will track further inland, which would result in a greater flood threat for the more southern catchments. Rain will also continue up the coast on Wednesday, including around Sydney, lifting event totals to above 100mm from about Taree to Gippsland, with the risk of isolated regions seeing well over 200mm. All up there are 20 river catchments under threat of flooding from Wallis Lake near Forster, to Mitchell River east of Bairnsdale. The force of the wind will be fierce during this East Coast Low due to the very tight pressure gradient around the centre of the storm. Peak wind gusts should hit close to 110 kilometres per hour on Tuesday along the central stretch of the coast, starting around the Mid North Coast and Hunter, then shifting to Sydney and the Illawarra in the afternoon. Winds of this magnitude are strong enough to bring down trees and lead to power outages, and under a scenario where the centre of the low makes a close pass to the shoreline, minor property damage and more widespread toppling of trees could result. A few thunderstorms could also form on Tuesday near the Hunter and lower Mid North Coast, which according to the BOM's storm forecast have the potential to produce destructive gusts over 125kph, and waterspouts. Strong winds will continue through Wednesday, and possibly extend further north and south from about the Mid North Coast to the Victorian border. A consequence of the Tasman gales will be a rapid increase in surf through Tuesday, with combined seas and swells reaching around 5 metres by Tuesday night. Waves will continue rising into Wednesday when peaks between Seal Rocks and Batemans Bay could average up to 7m. Maximum waves are normally double the average and may hit close to 15m. Surf of this ferocity when combined with unusually high water levels from the low surface pressure is likely to cause significant beach erosion. The areas most at risk are beaches facing into the wind. So in this case, south facing beaches may see the greatest damage. While winds and rain along the coast should start to ease by Thursday, there is a lag for surf which will maintain huge waves until at least Friday.
News.com.au
5 hours ago
- News.com.au
What to expect as ‘bomb cyclone' nears NSW north coast
Australians should brace for a 'vigorous' weather system forecast to bring heavy rain, damaging surf and strong winds on the east coast starting on Tuesday morning. The NSW coast, from Coffs Harbour to Bega in the south, is in the firing line of a fast-moving coastal low, with the Bureau of Meteorology warning it may also smash the Sydney metropolitan area. The Hunter and Mid North Coast, including Newcastle, face damaging wind gusts of up to 120km/h from dawn, followed by heavy rainfall likely leading to flash flooding. Flights are likely to be disrupted in the coming days as the destructive weather system rages from the north to the south. 'This is a very dynamic and fast-moving system, very different to the systems that we have seen in recent times,' NSW SES Deputy Commissioner Debbie Platz warned. 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. Qantas said it is monitoring the situation very closely and anticipate some cancellations tomorrow as Airservices Australia reduces the flying in and out of Sydney. Any affected customers will be updated by the airline. Jetstar is also yet to cancel any flights, but NewsWire understands the airline is closely monitoring the progress of the storm. 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. NSW SES has activated all 11,000 of its volunteers in preparation for the wild weather, and is urging members of the community to get ready.
News.com.au
10 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.
