Stormy weekend ahead for much of Australia

A large stretch of the country is in for a wet and stormy weekend, with forecasters warning of possible giant hail, flash flooding and damaging winds.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) says severe thunderstorms are expected to develop across New South Wales and southern Queensland, extending inland and across much of the Northern Territory. Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra and Sydney are also likely to see wet and windy conditions.

The wild weather is being driven by a combination of a cold front, a low-pressure system and a warm front moving through eastern Australia.

Storms are tipped to intensify on Saturday, with severe conditions forecast around Sydney, Wollongong, Newcastle, Tamworth, Byron Bay and Brisbane.
BoM senior meteorologist Jonathan How said the greatest risk area stretched from the NSW Central Coast through to the mid-north coast and southern tablelands.

"For these areas, we may see severe or even supercell thunderstorms producing giant hail larger than five centimetres, destructive winds and heavy rain leading to flash flooding," Mr How said.

Conditions are expected to ease in NSW and southern Queensland on Sunday, while central and eastern Queensland could see more storms and showers.

Further south, Tasmania, Victoria and South Australia will experience a colder, windier day, with maximum temperatures dropping up to 12 degrees below average.

Mr How urged residents to stay alert and prepared for potential power outages, property damage and travel disruptions.

"Much of south-eastern and eastern Australia is set for an unsettled few days as this system moves through," he said.
"Make sure you keep up to date with the latest forecasts and warnings as we head into the weekend."