Latest news with #EastCoastLow
Sky News AU
06-07-2025
- Climate
- Sky News AU
Snowfall set to surge as cold fronts line up along southeast, with huge dumping of snow on the way after 'abysmal' back-to-back bleak seasons
Heavy school holiday snow for ski resorts this week It's that magic week in July where every single Australian state and territory is in the thick of school holidays, and for the first time in three seasons, it's looking like a great week ahead for skiers and snowboarders with another fresh dumping of snow on the way. It's setting this year well in contrast to recent years. I won't sugarcoat it – the last two seasons were abysmal for both snow cover and fair-weather ski days on the mountains as Australia's fickle snow season fell short of the average. Some numbers: The best yardstick for Australia's ski seasons are snow base measurements from Snowy Hydro at three separate sites in the Kosciuszko National Park. These have been kept at Spencer's Creek since 1954 and are a good estimate for natural snow base at the New South Wales Ski Resorts of Perisher and Thredbo. The average peak natural snow base at this site is 195cm, usually in late August. Back-to-back bleak seasons with few snow events, rain and rapid spring thaws lead to 2023 and 2024 being the only seasons on record to peak in July. The seasons ranked 5th and 6th lowest on record. They are symptoms of a long-term trend where Australia's warmed climate and reduction in winter precipitation over the Australian Alps has led to a loss of peak snow depth of roughly 0.35cm per year since 1954. That's not to say good seasons don't or won't happen, and this one is off to an encouraging start. Despite some setbacks (heavy rainfall events, most recently last week for an East Coast Low), abundant snowfall and low temperatures have led to the best natural snow base at this point in the season since 2022 in New South Wales, and in 25 years at Mount Hotham. As of the end of June, all Victorian resorts were trending above average by a margin of 10cm. Another huge dumping of snow is on the way this week to further top up the encouraging start to the season. After some light showers or teasing flurries this Sunday and Monday, a series of snowmaking cold fronts are lining up for the southeast. Heavy snow should settle in with blizzards from Tuesday, peaking on Thursday with a cold polar blast. Over half a metre of snow is likely to settle by Friday – even heavier on higher slopes. This could see the snowpack exceed one metre before the school holidays are out, opening more skiable terrain. For the latest weather outlooks and climate forecasts be sure to tune into Sky News Weather Channel 601 on Foxtel
7NEWS
02-07-2025
- Climate
- 7NEWS
Jane Bunn explains exactly what a bomb cyclone is after weather event develops off NSW
There have been a lot of scary sounding terms used to describe the East Coast Low off New South Wales. 'Bomb cyclone', 'bombogenesis', 'rain bomb' - all sound very threatening, and involving the word 'bomb'. Let's get to the bottom of this, because the bomb here is very different to something you would see in a war zone. On a weather map you see high's, low's, trough's and cold fronts. These are the features that highlight parts of the pressure pattern (the lines). There are a few easy parts to decipher, like where the pressure lines are well spaced, the wind is light. Then where the pressure lines are close together, the winds increase. You can also tell which way the wind is blowing because our winds travel clockwise around a Low and anti-clockwise around a high. The low off the NSW coast very quickly dropped pressure, so much so that it met the criteria for rapid development of 24hPa in 24 hours. On Sunday night it was very weak on 1014hPa, and by Monday night it was a powerful low on 988hPa. It is now 986hPa. We use the terms High and Low to denote the highest or lowest point of pressure, but the scientific term for these is 'cyclones'. A low is technically a cyclone, and a high is technically an anticyclone. When a low is in the tropics and meets certain criteria it gets the new term 'tropical cyclone' (also known as 'typhoon' or 'hurricane' in other parts of the world). This low off the NSW coast underwent rapid cyclogenesis, which is a rapid development into a deep cyclone. And this rapid development (of 24hPa in 24 hours) is known as explosive cyclogenesis or bomb cyclogenesis - coined by a professor from MIT in the US back in the 1970s. Professor Sanders used the word bomb to describe the explosive element and that is how it is defined in the American Meteorological Society's Glossary, and what you will see it referred to in meteorology textbooks. We get these bomb cyclones often around the globe, most regularly seen out to sea. When they develop near a coastline the effects become significant. One of them in 2007 ran a bulk carrier ship aground in Newcastle, called the Pasha Bulker. I remember this one well, because I was on shift as a forecaster at the weather bureau at the time. Our current beast of a weather system is bringing the typical weather we see when a deep low is located just off the coast. The rain is heaviest near the low and to its south (because our winds travel clockwise around a low). To the north it feels a world away in bright sunshine. Winds are damaging (over 90km/h) to locally destructive (over 125km/h). These beasts stir up the ocean, with hazardous surf and coastal erosion. So, when will it end? The answer is when the low moves away, which is likely to happen later on Wednesday into Thursday.
ABC News
30-06-2025
- Climate
- 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.
Time of India
30-06-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Wild weather hits NSW coast as authorities warn of heavy rain, damaging winds, and dangerous surf
Residents along the New South Wales coast are bracing for severe weather as a powerful East Coast Low brings heavy rainfall, damaging winds, and hazardous surf conditions. The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a series of warnings for areas stretching from the Mid North Coast down to the South Coast , with the most intense impacts expected between Monday and Thursday. The system is forecast to deliver widespread rainfall totals of 100 to 200 millimetres, with some areas—particularly those near elevated terrain—potentially receiving more than 300 millimetres. Meteorologists warn that the heaviest falls are likely to occur between Tuesday and Wednesday, increasing the risk of flash flooding and river rises. Sydney, the Illawarra, and the Hunter are among the regions on alert for significant rainfall and localised flooding. Damaging winds are another major concern, with gusts expected to exceed 90 kilometres per hour in exposed coastal and elevated areas. The Bureau has also issued marine warnings for gale-force winds and hazardous surf, urging boaters and swimmers to exercise extreme caution. Dangerous surf conditions are likely to persist through the middle of the week, increasing the risk of coastal erosion and posing a threat to beachgoers. The NSW State Emergency Service has pre-positioned resources and is urging residents to prepare for possible power outages, fallen trees, and road closures. Authorities are advising people to secure loose outdoor items, avoid unnecessary travel during severe weather, and never drive through floodwaters. The public is encouraged to keep up to date with the latest warnings and follow instructions from emergency services. This wild weather event comes as communities across eastern NSW continue to recover from previous storms and flooding earlier this year. With the potential for significant disruption and property damage, authorities are urging vigilance and early preparation as the system moves through the region. Live Events
ABC News
28-06-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
Weather system to bring damaging rain and winds to east coast
A rapidly intensifying low-pressure system is possible along Australia's east coast next week. The winter storm may even become the first East Coast Low in three years, and has the potential to generate a combination of heavy rain, gale-force winds and damaging surf.
