Thursday September 2nd 2010
The developing rain event continues to evolve, with cloud associated with a low pressure trough extending across the southern mainland, and moisture of tropical origins continuing to generate cloud over central Australia.
This situation is expected to result in a deepening low pressure cell over South Australia on Friday, which should then move southeast across western Victoria on Saturday and out across the southern Tasman Sea on Sunday.
The weekly rainfall predictions from this series of events reveals a widespread and highly significant rainfall event affecting south-eastern parts of Western Australia today, and during Friday and the weekend, most of South Australia, southern and central Queensland and much of NSW, Victoria and Tasmania.
On Sunday and Monday, the rainband should contact northwards and bring good totals across central and eastern Queensland.
Many areas are expected to record 4-day totals of 25 to 50 mm with pockets of 50 to 100 mm indicated for Victoria, Tasmania and south-eastern parts of Western Australia.
Some of the catchments in these areas are already saturated so the issue of flood warnings will be likely during this time. The low pressure cell is also expected to produce strong winds and local thunderstorm activity so severe weather warnings are likely as well as sheep graziers alerts for the eastern States.
Another tropical cloud band is then expected to affect northern parts of Western Australia, South Australia and north-western NSW from Tuesday to Friday of next week, further topping up rainfall totals in these areas.
Weekly totals in excess of 100 mm are predicted for parts of north-western NSW, north-eastern South Australia and south-western Queensland.