Millions are in the firing line as a string of thunderstorms travel eastwards from Central Australia, on course to hit the country’s east coast with chilly temperatures, flash flooding and large hail.
The combination of a low pressure trough and tropical moisture has triggered a large band of thunderstorms across Central Australia, wreaking havoc on Alice Springs on Monday.
Paired with an unstable atmosphere, the low pressure trough is moving eastwards towards NSW and Queensland, bringing lashings of rain, hail and blistering winds.
Wild storms cause flash flooding, widespread damage
Residents in northern NSW and parts of Queensland have already felt the brunt of the intense weather.
There was 8mm of rain recorded in less than an hour in Moree, while Tamworth in northeast NSW was inundated with 7mm of rainfall in the span of 10 minutes.
There were no reported SES call-outs in Queensland amid the storms, Queensland Police told NewsWire.
Conditions were just as wild in parts of NSW, with the SES receiving more than 220 call outs over the span of 24 hours.
Most of the call-outs were related to fallen trees and damaged or leaking roofs, though some others were required to free people stuck in floodwaters in Greater Sydney.
Two people were in need of saving in Woollahra, as the flash flooding washed around their car.
SES were able to free the two people and walk them to safety.
Another person became trapped inside their car in Mascot as the floodwaters rapidly rose, leaving them stuck inside.
Showers and thunderstorms are expected to scatter across the majority of Queensland on Wednesday, with the exception of the state’s Far North.
Isolated thunderstorms are expected about the Gulf Country and scattered to widespread in the east, south of Moranbah.
Meanwhile, the thunderstorms will be turned up a notch in central Queensland, with the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting damaging wind gusts, heavy rain and large hail.
While there’s a chance of showers in Sydney on Wednesday, residents in Wollongong and north of Newcastle can expect rain and intense winds.
There’s also a chance of thunderstorms in the state’s northeast.
Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Sarah Scully said severe storm season, which runs between October and April, was amplified by moisture in the air and daytime heating, which creates “energetic storms”.
“There’s greater daytime heating to put energy into the atmosphere and a lot more moisture available in the warmer temperatures, as water evaporates from the oceans gets drawn over Australia by the heat troughs that develop,” she told NewsWire.
3000 without power in Alice Springs amid storms
It comes as Alice Springs and parts of the Northern Territory were smashed with intense and destructive storms, leaving thousands without power and buildings wrecked.
The clean up efforts have begun in the Northern Territory, with about 8000 households without power as winds crashed down power lines, roofs and trees.
About 3000 homes remain without power on Wednesday, Power and Water NT confirmed.
They said it’s is likely going to take “several days” to restore power in some areas.
“Crews continue assessing damage, repairing assets and prioritising safe restoration of essential services,” they said.
Deputy Mayor Daniel Rochford described the chaos that unfolded as the storm tore through the city.
“I’d have to say probably one of the scariest things I’ve experienced. I was actually in the middle of the storm, driving from my work to my home when it hit,” he told the ABC.
“I had trees falling around me, around my car, I could not see the road in front of me.”