An extreme end to the year!

Massive rain has been drenching QLD from coast to country in the last 24 hours. Towns like Hughenden, Georgetown and Blackall all received just over 100mm, while heavy rain and flash flooding pounded the coastal region around Townsville this morning. The town itself picked up 206mm- it’s heaviest December day of rain ever. Close by, Bushland Beach got a massive 301mm! New Years Eve celebrations planned for this evening are on standby, but thankfully rain is easing this afternoon before re- developing again tomorrow morning.

But while many farmers have benefited from the consistent heavy rain, there are many who have missed out so hopefully further widespread rain this week will deliver to these areas.

Meanwhile, it’s a hot end to 2009 for the southern states. South Australians are baking in temperatures as much as 16 degrees above the December average. Adelaide is heading for 41 degrees before a cool change brings some relief by late this afternoon.

Residents in Hobart are really going to feel the change between 2009 and 2010. Today’s maximum temperature is 35 degrees- a huge 15 degrees above the average- while tomorrow's daytime temperature will be 22 degrees.

Melbourne will be hot and humid today with a maximum of 38 degrees but rain and thunderstorms will put a dampener on New Years Eve celebrations from this afternoon. Some of these storms have the potential to be severe with damaging winds.

For Sydneysiders, New Years Eve is grey and drizzly with showers but it should be generally dry for the fireworks tonight. If you plan on watching the famous fireworks display at a park, you might need some plastic or tarps as the grass will be a little wet!

Wherever your weather, I hope you all have a safe and happy new year!

Rain continues in NSW and QLD

Northeast NSW is on flood alert with further heavy rain expected this week. Dubbo has already picked up 169mm, its highest 4 day rain total in at least 11 years. But for parts of the Mid North Coast, this much rain has fallen in a day! Bellingen has been soaked by over 150mm in the last 24 hours. Further inland, Glenn Innes has received 44mm to 9am this morning while Gunnedah has had its best day of rain in a year with 45mm.

Today, up to 100mm of further rain is possible for places northeast of line from Walgett to Forster so flooding and river rises are likely.

Most of QLD will also see showers and thunderstorms except for the far southwest corner. Normanton in the Gulf picked up almost 50mm in just one hour this morning. Coastal area have also copped heavy rain with 80mm in Rockhampton and 30mm in Brisbane Airport. Showers will clear from southeast QLD tomorrow, with heavier falls tending towards central and western parts of the state.

"Laurence" on track to deliver Christmas downpours

Severe tropical cyclone “Laurence” crossed the Pilbara coast at 80 Mile Beach yesterday afternoon and dumped a massive 246mm over Mandora- its second highest 24 hour rain total since records began in 1913. The record was set in 2000 when tropical cyclone “Steve” brought 281mm.

The category 3 system is continuing to track inland through WA’s Interior as predicted and is packing wind gusts of 185kmh near its centre. A cyclone warning is current for the Pilbara east of Marble Bar, adjacent Kimberley and northwest Interior including Telfer, Cotton Creek and Nullagine. Central parts of the Interior including Giles and Warburton are on Cyclone Watch.

“Laurence” will feed a massive amount of moisture across the central and eastern interior bringing an early Christmas present to those wishing for rain.

Massive Christmas rains across the country

The Christmas and Boxing Day forecasts have taken a very interesting turn and it’s all thanks to Tropical Cyclone “Laurence.” The system moved offshore over the weekend and could have gone two different ways: westward over the vast waters of the Indian Ocean where it would have had little impact on our weather, or back over land where it would have a major impact weather-wise as far as the south-eastern states. “Laurence” re-developed on Saturday over the warm waters of the Indian Ocean and decided to head back towards the coast for the second time- a move which may change some menus from seafood to turkey for Christmas Day! It's likely to make landfall some time this afternoon.

So how can a tropical cyclone near Broome affect weather all the way in Sydney which is over 5000km away?! Well, as “Laurence” moves inland it’s going to drag a mass of moisture over the central interior. A trough in the southeast will tap into this moisture, bringing widespread rain as far as south- eastern Australia. On Christmas Eve, rain and thunderstorms will start to develop over VIC and NSW. Luckily for Melbourne, most of it will clear during Christmas Day. And cricket-lovers don’t despair, Melbourne is looking great for the Boxing Day Test with a sunny and warm 27 degrees on the way.

For Sydneysiders at this stage, Christmas morning is looking relatively clear but Christmas afternoon and Boxing Day are becoming cooler with rain. A note to shopaholics- you might have to queue up extra early for the Boxing Day sales along with everyone else who is also ditching the beach for a bargain!

NSW cools, but what about the weekend?

It feels like a completley different season for most of NSW, with temperatures crashing from as much as 43 degrees in Nowra yesterday to a cool 22 degrees today. Sydney's western suburbs also baked in 40-plus heat in what was their hottest day in almost 4 years! A southerly buster brought some welcome relief early this morning and today much needed rain is also bringing parched gardens back to life from coast to country across the north-eastern half of the state, including Sydney.

Up north, locals in WA's Kimberley are still on alert with tropical cyclone "Laurence" expected to strengthen as it moves offshore over the weekend. It's likely to be a tropical low when it crosses Broome but the very warm waters of the Indian Ocean will feed the system with the fuel it needs to strengthen. Sea surface temperatures of at least 26.5 degrees are required for a tropical cylone to form and "Laurence" is predicted to cross WA waters that are at least 28 degrees.

A wild weekend is also in store for residents from southeast QLD to northeast NSW with severe storms expected both on Saturday and Sunday- flash flooding, damaging winds and large hail are all possible.

TC "Laurence" makes landfall

Severe tropical cyclone “Laurence” rapidly intensified into a category 5 system yesterday- that’s the most dangerous level- but the system has since weakened into a category 3 tropical storm.

Our first cyclone of the season crossed the Kimberley coast yesterday southeast of Cockatoo Island and will continue to weaken as it moves inland. Winds close to the cyclone’s centre are gusting up to 165kmh.

A cyclone warning is in place for coastal areas between Kuri Bay and Beagle Bay including Derby and adjacent inland parts. Broome and Fitzroy Crossing are on Cyclone Watch.

The system is expected to move out sea tomorrow as a tropical low but cyclone paths are notoriously erratic and unpredictable so stay tuned to channel 603 for the latest updates.

A nation of Summer extremes

Scorching hot temperatures are searing through the southern states elevating bushfire danger, "Laurence" has intensified into a Cat 3 Severe Tropical Cyclone (TC) and severe storms are pounding northeast NSW and southeast QLD- it's all happening!

TC "Laurence" strengthened in to a severe Cat 3 storm today and continues to skirt WA's Kimberley coast moving in a south- westerly direction. Very destructive wind gusts to 185kmh are being experienced near the coast just south of Troughton Island and may extend as far as Mitchell Plateau later today.

The structure of a TC is actually pretty fascinating. The centre or "eye" is the calmest part of a TC, while the area surrounding the eye or "eyewall" is where you not only get the strongest winds but the deepest cumulonimbus storm clouds which actually produce the heaviest rain. It's really important to know this about a TC because a period of calm weather doesn't necessarily mean the TC has moved on. Rather, the TC eye could be passing straight overhead, with destructive weather just around the corner.

TC's don't often pass directly over a weather station to capture the wind change between the calm "eye" and destructive "eyewall" but this morning "Laurence" made an exception by hurling straight over WA's Troughton Island. I watched the observations closely this morning and it was amazing to see the winds gradually decrease from S with gusts of 187kmh at 8.00am, to E with gusts of 24kmh at 9.00am when the "eye" passed across, to then intensify back to destructive stage with ENE with 148kmh an hour after that. Amazing stuff.

It has also been steaming in Eucla today which got 45.4 degrees today- a massive 20 degrees above the December average! South Australians have also been sweating it out with Adelaide reaching 38 degrees today. But it's only going to get hotter tomorrow across the south eastern states. Melbourne and Adelaide are looking down the barrel of a 39 degree day and even Hobart is stepping up to the hot plate with an unseasonally hot forecast of 32 degrees- that's 12 degrees above the December average. A change late Wednesday/ Thursday will cool things down dramatically but ahead of it winds will strengthen. This has prompted fire weather warnings in SA, VIC, TAS and NSW for Wednesday.

Yesterday, severe storms lashed northeast NSW with hail and flash flooding. Kempsey picked up 95mm and widespread hail turned Glenn Innes into what looked like a Winter Wonderland. This afternoon severe storms are once again grumbling across the Northern Tablelands and QLD's southeast. Flash flooding, damaging winds and large hailstones are all possible. At The Weather Channel, we often to refer to this region as "thunderstorm alley" because of the frequency and intensity of summer storms in this region.

Tropical Cyclone "Laurence" drenches Darwin

Our first tropical cyclone of the season has been hurling heavy rain over the western Top End leading to flooding in Darwin. Over 300mm of rain cascaded across the city over the weekend with a whopping 294mm falling in just 48 hours. The city typically cops a Summer soaking but this rain has been more intense than usual- in fact the highest 2 day rain total in 11 years.

The category 1 tropical cyclone is moving in a westerly direction parallel to Western Australia’s Kimberley coast. Heavy rain is possible in the North Kimberley tonight and tomorrow which may lead to stream rises and flooding.

A Cyclone Warning continues for coastal areas from Kuri Bay to Wyndham and coastal areas from Kuri Bay to Cape Leveque are on Cyclone Watch. Computer models are predicting that the cyclone will intensify into a category 2 system tomorrow.

Top End coast on cyclone watch

The first tropical low of the season is spinning off the Northern Territory coast around 305km northeast of Darwin. It’s moving parallel to the coast in a westerly direction at approximately 15km per hour.

Coastal areas from Croker Island to Cape Fourcroy are on cyclone watch, and while gales are not expected for coastal areas in the next 24 hours, they may develop later if the low intensifies into a category 1 tropical cyclone tomorrow. Heavy rain is already impacting the coast with Warruwi getting drenched by 85mm in one day. Rain is expected to pick up in Darwin tomorrow.

As I mentioned in my previous post, if this low becomes a tropical cyclone it will be named “Lawrence.”

The convention of naming of tropical cyclones has a very interesting history which actually started in Australia thanks to eccentric Queensland meteorologist, Clement Wragge. For a period, he named tropical cyclones after politicians because he believed that they’re both “national disasters”! Then he started naming them after women since he believed they’re both “unpredictable.” Thankfully, the Bureau evened things out in 1975 allocating both male and female names to tropical cyclones.

Dry start to December for Cairns

Following above average rain in November, Summer has kicked off in Cairns with a dry spell. Only 9mm has been recorded so far for December, well off our monthly average of 180mm. Over the next few days, the odd shower will sprinkle the coast but it’s mainly expected during the morning so for the most part, Cairns days will be warm and dry.

Further north, we’re starting to see our first flow of monsoonal winds, and our first tropical low of the season is brewing off the Northern Territory coast! The thick cloud mass associated with the low is already making an impact on the mainland bringing the equal warmest night in 8 years to Darwin. Should this low intensify into a tropical cyclone the next cab off the ranks in terms of names is “Laurence.” We’ll keep you up to date on all the latest on 603!

Perth preps for a weekend scorcher

Get your zinc and cozzies ready- beautiful beach weather is on the way!

The mercury is on the rise in the golden west with temperatures getting into the high thirties for the weekend. Today, the world’s second most isolated capital city (after Honolulu!) is heading for sunny and warm 29 degrees with the “Freemantle Doctor” (aka “coastal seabreeze” if you’re living on the east coast) arriving in the afternoon to cool things down. The Doc is arriving every afternoon during this warm spell but because he’s coming late on Saturday, this will allow the temperature to get as high as 37 degrees. This will be Perth’s hottest day since March.

Chilly start to Summer for Sydney

Following its hottest November on record, Sydney woke up to its coldest morning in 2 months today. Heavy showers overnight provided the city with 10mm of rain- the heaviest in 5 weeks. In fact, Sydney has picked up more rain in just the first 2 days of Summer than all of November! It’s all thank to chilly southerly winds that have also rendered the coast a danger zone with 6ft plus waves pounding at the shoreline, but as winds ease today so will the wild surf.

Sunny skies are also making a return to the harbour city this afternoon with highs of 25-27 degrees in the city between today and Sunday, and temperatures between 31-34 degrees in the west.

Flooding rains breathe life into the outback

It was just a few days ago that the driest part of the country- western QLD, northwest NSW and northeast SA- was being singed by a record-breaking heatwave. Today, this outback region is getting drenched by flooding rains! Urandangi in northwest QLD hasn't seen a drop in months, yet in just 24 hours a massive 42mm has fallen across the desert town.

Local flooding is already affecting southern areas of SA's Northeast Pastoral district thanks to 30-90mm of rain over the last few days. Another 50-70mm is possible by Thursday, further increasing the likelihood of flooding in the coming days.

What has caused this remarkable turn-around in the weather across the outback? There are two weather features at play. During the recent heatwave, northerly winds persistently churned extreme heat towards central Australia for about two weeks. But the hot air wasn't travelling on its own; the winds were also drawing in moisture from the tropics towards the central inland. Over the weekend, the south- eastern states got drenched thanks to a cold pool of air across the region. This cold pool has moved further north and tapped into this tongue of tropical moisture to produce flooding desert rains!

Is this normal? In one way it is. The climate of the outback is characterised by extreme variability. Prolonged dry periods followed by flooding rains are "normal" in this part of the world and that's what makes the arid zone so special. But it's quite unusual to see this much rain this early in the wet season. Flooding rains typically affect this region in December and January when tongues of tropical moisture feed into inland areas during periods of active monsoonal and tropical cyclone activity in the tropics. So this rain set-up is a little left of field for what we normally expect.

Southerly buster cools Sydney’s Sunday scorcher.

If I asked you what the hottest part of NSW was yesterday, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was somewhere in the outback like Broken Hill or Bourke. But it was actually Sydney Airport which reached a furnace-like 42.5ºC degrees, a massive 19 ºC above the November average! The city itself baked in its hottest day since January reaching a scorching 40ºC.

Thankfully, a southerly buster burst onto the scene at around midnight to bring some gusty relief and temperatures today are around 20ºC cooler than what they were yesterday.

While the official recorded temperatures were in the low forties, it's possible that your thermometer in the backyard could have registered an even higher temperature, especially if it was in the direct sunlight. This is because the temperatures obtained from official weather stations are recorded in what is known as a "Stevenson screen." It's a white box located about 1.25-2m off the ground which houses various meteorological measuring instruments like a thermometer. Its purpose is to shield the thermometer from outside influences like rain and direct sunlight in order to create a "standardised" environment for measuring various meteorological variables.

The fact that the air temperature is measured at height is also important for farmers when forecasting frost because the temperature on the ground itself will be around 2-3 degrees colder than what is recorded in the Stevenson screen.

SA Heatwave reaches day 12 and spreads east

Northern SA is now in day 12 of the November heatwave with temperatures skyrocketing to as much as 14 degrees above the average. The record heat has been blistering SA soils for almost two weeks now, and today we have the added feature of strong winds which is what has lead to a Catastrophic Fire Danger in the Northwest Pastoral and Flinders districts. This is the most severe bushfire rating and under this warning, fires will be uncontrollable, unpredictable and fast- moving. This is the first time a Catastrophic Fire Danger has been issued in Australia since the bushfire warning system was revised earlier this year.

Extreme heat is also searing across NSW and QLD today with Bourke and Thargomindah set to reach 45ºC and 44ºC, respectively. The heatwave is peaking tomorrow with November heat records almost guaranteed to tumble.

SA coast cools down- but not for long!

Adelaide can look forward to temperatures below 30ºC today for the first time in 10 days! This is thanks to a cool southerly change that swept across the South Australian coast last night bringing slight relief to heat- ravaged areas. But even though some places are up to 15 ºC cooler than what they were yesterday, they are still above average today. This gives you some idea of just how hot it got with a few places even reaching 45 ºC like Ceduna, Wudinna and Port Augusta.

But this drop in the mercury will only be short-lived! By tomorrow, the heat will be back with 34ºC before getting to a scorching 41ºC on Wednesday and Thursday. The “proper” cool change will arrive on the weekend in the form of a cold front that will finally drop temperatures down to the low twenties on Saturday and Sunday.

The reason why the cool change today isn’t sticking around is because it’s just a wind change from northerlies to southerlies- the actual temperature of the hot air above South Australia isn’t changing. So once the southerlies move away, the heat comes back! On the contrary, a cold front brings a wind change and cold air behind it which actually replaces the hot air and brings a longer period of cooler weather.

Tiger sizzles on the green!

It goes without saying that Tiger Woods is red hot on the green, but this time I mean it in a literal sense! Today, Melbourne experienced its 6th day in a row of 30 degrees or more and the heat isn't expected to let up until Monday.

But if you're feeling bad for Tiger, spare a thought for locals in Victoria's north who, like their South Australian neighbours, are putting up with the discomfort of 40-plus temperatures. The hot air is also seering through much of NSW with Ivanhoe getting up to 44 degrees.

City slickers have also been left panting for cool relief with Penrith recording 38.8 degrees this afternoon. Thunderstorms ahead of a southerly buster have just turned Sydney's blue skies into an ominous grey, and Sydneysiders will get a short break from the heat tomorrow.

But keep your swimmers and sunscreen handy! The mercury is on the rise again with the western suburbs set to sizzle in 40-degree heat by Monday!

South Australia smashes November heatwave record

It's official: Adelaide is sweating through it's worst November heatwave on record. At 3.30pm the city's temperature skyrocketed to 39.2 degrees, making it it's 5th day in a row above 35 degrees. The previous record of 4 consecutive days above 35 degrees was set in 1894. But the heatwave isn't over yet with the mercury expected to rise to a scorching 40 degrees by Sunday!

A cool change will eventually drop temperatures down to the high twenties/ early thirties on Monday and Tuesday but this mild relief will be shortlived. On Wednesday, locals will once again need to prepare to suffer through another spell of 35-plus temperatures.

Many inland parts of South Australia have also cracked the 40- degree mark with Murray Bridge sweating through 3 days in a row above 41 degrees.

South Australians are accustomed to prolonged heatwaves but as I mentioned in my earlier post, this pattern of sustained, well above average heat is unusual for this time of the year and, as of today, unprecedented in November.

The Silver City melts in Spring heat

South- western parts of NSW, including Broken Hill, are baking in temperatures as high as 10 degrees above the November average. Today the Silver City is heading for 36 ºC, with the mercury expected to reach a scorching 40 ºC by Thursday. Temperatures are likely to remain at 35 ºC or more for the rest of the week.

On average, Broken Hill will swelter through around 6 days above 40 ºC but this year there have already been 16 40-plus days! Most of these temperatures occurred last Summer when locals sweated through 12 days in a row above 40 ºC in January and February! In the past 6 months, temperatures in Broken Hill have been about 1 degree above the average.

So what can we expect for the coming Summer? According to climate forecasts based on current sea surface conditions in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, Broken Hill is likely to receive below average rainfall through the summer and above average temperatures. Right now, we are in an El Nino phase which usually results in drier than average conditions. Most climate models are forecasting El Nino to persist throughout Summer.

Temperatures soar in South Australian heatwave

It’s only 9am and Adelaide is already 32 ºC! The city is heading for its third day in a row above 35 ºC today and with 39 ºC expected from Wednesday to Friday, it’s almost guaranteed that it will break the November heatwave record of 5 days in a row. Thankfully, a cool change is finally expected on Saturday- the timing is still uncertain but I’ll keep you posted.

This unrelenting heat is being caused by a near- stationery high in the Tasman that is churning a hot airmass from the northwest interior right down to the southern coastline. This type of a high pressure system is often called a “blocking high” because it blocks the usual easterly progression of weather systems. In this case, it’s stopping cold fronts from the Southern Ocean from being able to reach the mainland and cool things down.

This weather set-up is quite unusual for this time of the year. Typically, Spring sees erratic and changeable weather rather than the stagnant pattern of unprecedented heat that we’re seeing at the moment.

Hold onto your hats at the Cup!

It might be warm today but colder weather is headed towards Melbourne with temperatures dropping and winds picking up just in time for the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday. The cool change is expected in Melbourne around midnight tonight will a few showers until around sunrise tomorrow. Most of the day should stay dry with just some isolated showers and a cooler maximum of 20 degrees. But the main weather feature will be the westerly winds which are expected to gust up to around 50 kmh. While this won't affect the field, it may send the fashions flying! So while the cooler weather will be a pleasant change for the boys in suits after Derby Day's sweat- fest, here a few tips for ladies on weather-proofing your fashions...

Locks:
Pin those facinators nice and tight and bring a few spare bobby pins to stop them from flying
A bit of extra hairspray won't go astray
And hold onto your hats!

Frocks:
Pencil skirts are not only flattering but you won't need to worry about your skirts flying up in the wind!
Bring a pashmina- 20 degrees will feel even colder with the windchill
If your outfit allows for tights or pantyhose- they will cover any goosebumps

Now that your locks and frocks are sorted, I hope you enjoy Australia's biggest race and back a winner!

Adelaide is sweating through hottest night since February!

The temperature in Adelaide hasn't dropped below 26.4 degrees all night, forcing locals to sweat through their hottest night since February! At 6am local time, the temperature was already a steamy 28 degrees and the mercury is expected to rise to 35 degrees today. With 5 days in a row of temperatures 5 degrees above the average, the city has officially experienced a "heatwave." Today will be Adelaide's 6th day in row with temperatures above 30 degrees. But there is relief in sight! A cool, south- westerly change will arrive around lunch-time dropping temperatures by about 10 degrees. Tomorrow's forecast maximum is a much cooler 20 degrees but it will be shortlived. Winds will turn back northerly again with sunshine and temperatures in the 30's once once more delivering great beach weather for the weekend.

Muggy build up to the Melbourne Cup

Melbourne is sweating through humid and muggy conditions in the lead up to Melbourne Cup. The moist and unstable air that caused the stormy weather over QLD and NSW this week has moved south and now it's Victoria's turn to experience hot temperatures and summer- like storms.

Yesterday, Melbourne had it's warmest day in 6 months with 31 degrees and it's already a sticky start to the day with the city not getting below 20 degrees all night. Showers have kicked in this morning and thunderstorms are expected to develop over the next few hours, becoming more widespread across the state this afternoon. Melbourne is heading for 28 degrees today and temperatures will be as much as 10 degrees above average across the state.

How long will this hot and stormy spell last? Monday will still be very warm with the chance of storms but a cool change will drop temperatures significantly by Tuesday for the Melbourne Cup. Melbourne can expect a top of 20 degrees and some isolated showers. So ladies- pack a pashmina or cardie and scotchguard the suede heels just in case!

The weather can often prove to be the greatest gamble on Melbourne Cup day, influencing the track conditions, betting odds and the fashions on the field. The last two Melbourne Cups have seen partly cloudy conditions, with a top of 22 degrees recorded in 2007 and a maximum of 17 degrees experienced in 2008.

No guarantee for Adelaide's Sunday scorcher

South Australia is sweating in above average temperatures this week with northern towns set to reach 40- plus temperatures and Adelaide forecast to reach 36 degrees by Sunday, as per the previous post. But there's a chance that southern areas including Adelaide won't get their Sunday scorcher.

Over the weekend, northerly winds will continue to spread hot air throughout the state, but a trough will also develop across southern areas. The trough will effectively act like a barrier between hot northerly winds in the north and cooler southerly winds in the south. What this means is that anywhere north of the trough will reach the forecast hot temperatures, but to the south of it, temperatures will be as much as 10 degrees cooler. For example, Whyalla is forecast to reach 39 degrees while Mt Gambier is heading for just 22 degrees.

The position of this trough is going to make a big difference as to just how hot Adelaide gets this weekend. On Saturday, there's a chance that Adelaide won't get as high as 31 degrees and while the predicted 36 degrees on Sunday is still possible, if the trough drifts further north, it may only get to 26 degrees.

Either way, it will still be quite warm but I'll keep you posted!

Hot spell heads for South Australia

South Australians are baking in Summer-like temperatures this week thanks to hot northerly winds. Today, Adelaide is expected to reach a warm 28 degrees, which is 6 degrees above the October average, but by Sunday the city will be sweating in 36 degrees! A cool change is expected early on Monday which will drop the day's maximum to just 22 degrees.

With this hot spell, northern parts of the state may experience their first 40-plus temperatures since March. Cooper Pedy is forecast to reach the 40 degrees while Oodnadatta could swelter in 41 degrees.

Wild storms black out Brisbane

As predicted, violent storms tore across southeast QLD yesterday evening leaving 22,000 homes and businesses without power. The upside of the lightning show was the much needed rain that drenched the suburbs and dams from the Sunshine Coast to the Gold Coast. The highest 24 hour rainfall total to 9am this morning occurred just north of Brisbane at Lipscombe Road with 135mm, Brisbane Airport received 54mm, and further south Upper Springbrook recorded 115mm. Fortunately, the dams also faired well with Wivenhoe and Somerset getting 31mm and 59mm, respectively.

Showers eased backed significantly today giving residents the chance to dry off.

Flooding rains put northern NSW underwater- again

Towns on the NSW Mid North Coast have been inundated by floodwaters for the fourth time this year with the heaviest rain falling across the Bellinger Nambucca catchment. This deluge comes after 3 months of below average rain for the region. Coffs Harbour has received a month and a half's worth of rain in just a day with 147mm, making it it's wettest October day on record. Bellingen was the worst hit with a whopping 409mm in just a day! This is as much rain as places like Mt Isa, Tennant Creek and Bourke would get in an entire year! It brings Bellingen's rainfall total so far this year to over 3000mm or 3 metres! Other parts of the coast between Kempsey and the NSW/QLD border were soaked by falls of over 100mm.

A further 50-100mm is possible from Kemspey to Yamba today leading to further flash flooding and river rises. Rain will ease by tonight with showers persisting tomorrow, but drier weather will kick in from Thursday.

The reason for this huge downpour is a lingering trough over the coast which is being fed by very humid onshore winds. As this system moves to the west, conditions will ease.

Further inland, rain and storms have also been pelting north-western parts of NSW with 25mm in Cobar, it's heaviest day of rain in 4 months. Another 50mm is possibe today, especially for towns hit by storms which may be severe.

Torrential rain soaks Sydney!

It's another busy morning at The Weather Channel! The heaviest rain in years is drenching Sydneysiders with as much as 50mm falling in just an hour over the eastern suburbs. The downpour started at around lunch-time yesterday and to 9am this morning Canterbury was soaked by 96mm, it's heaviest day of rain in at least 5 years. Meanwhile, Sydney city recorded a month's worth of rain in 24 hours with 73mm. The highest rain total for the Sydney area was in French's Forest with a huge 114mm!

But it's not just Sydney getting soaked, areas north of the city have also picked up heavy falls. Parts of the Mid North Coast have seen as much as 77mm in Forster.

The cause of all this rain is moist air from the Tasman and Coral Seas clashing with a pool of cold air from the Southern Ocean. Since the moist oceanic air is a lot warmer than the cold pool, it rises above it. As the warm air rises, it cools because temperature decreases with altitude. As the air cools, it eventually condenses and falls back down as rain.

Sydneysiders will be making the commute to work this morning under grey skies and slippery conditons but the rain will ease this afternoon. Torrential falls will continue on the New South Wales north coast with another 100mm possible by Wednesday. The soaking rains are also gradually seeping into southern Queensland which may see 50mm over the next 48 hours. This comes as good news for Queenslanders who have barely seen a drop in the last 3 months.

The east bakes in hottest temperatures in months

Country and city folk across Queensland and New South Wales are baking in summer-like temperatures today as dry and hot north-westerly winds stream across the eastern states. Temperatures across western Sydney and much of inland New South Wales are expected to be as much as 10 degrees above average today. If Penrith reaches its forecast maximum of 35 degrees, it will be its hottest day since February. For coastal suburbs, cool relief is in sight with a southerly buster set to drop temperatures by up to 8 degrees this afternoon. When the change pushed through Melbourne yesterday, the city's temperature plumetted from 28 to 19 degrees in just 30 minutes.

While the warm and sunny weather is welcome by many, the combination of hot, dry winds and months of below average rain have put both states under major bushfire threat. Rockhampton has picked up only 25mm of rainfall in the last 6 months, well below the average of 220mm for this period. Most of Queensland has had less than 20% of its average rainfall in the last 3 months. The Pacific Ocean is currently in an El Nino phase, and this lack of rainfall across eastern Australia is typical for winter and spring during El Nino conditions.

A high to very fire danger has been issued for Queensland's northern and central districts, with a total fire ban in place for the Lower Central West Plains in New South Wales.