The Squiz

Since South Oz copped a right battering yesterday, heavy rains and thunderstorms have been heading for the east coast. In Adelaide, the weather system caused havoc by dumping up to 40mm of rain in an hour, leaving more than 8,000 homes in the dark, grounding flights and flooding streets. And, fittingly, a Moby Dick whale sculpture broke free of its tethers and swam downstream… The storms arrived in NSW, northern Victoria and Queensland yesterday – although agricultural communities in western and southern parts of the Sunshine State welcomed the downpour after several dry months.

What’s the weather map saying?

The ‘supercell’ thunderstorms – which meteorologist Milton Speer described as the most dangerous – moving over southeast Oz aren’t a pretty sight… They have the potential to cause flash flooding, hail, strong winds, and even tornadoes. Forecasters reckon southeastern Queensland, inland NSW, and northern Victoria could be in for a drenching today, with up to 150mm of rain expected in some parts. The BOM says that “heavy, locally intense rainfall that may lead to dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding is likely”. If you’re in Sydney or Melbourne, it’s also time to get the brollies out – 35mm and 25mm of rain is predicted, respectively… Weatherzone meteorologist Anthony Sharwood says it’s down to 2 upper-level troughs moving through – he says one of those is forecast to stall “for a few days” over the Murray Darling Basin.

What happened to El Niño?

Good question because we’ve been hearing for months that we’re in for dry and warm conditions that could lead to a bad bushfire season. And although this latest dumping of rain might indicate otherwise, hot times are still a-comin. Meteorologist Ben Domensino explains the science behind it here, but essentially, he says there can still be ups and downs in rainfall – like we’re seeing this week – during a visit from El Niño. That’s backed up by the BOM’s latest climate driver report that says below-average rainfall is forecasted across northern Queensland, the Northern Territory, Tassie, South and Western Oz between December and February. As for the next few days, Aussies up and down the east coast – you’ve been warned…