Strong storms are forecast to hit Sydney on Friday around the same time as King Charles' flight lands, as a cold front generates strong winds and giant hail moves east across the country.
King Charles and Queen Camilla are scheduled to arrive shortly after 7pm and can expect wild Australian weather.
Miriam Bradbury, from the Bureau of Meteorology, said the storms would bring damaging gusts of wind and large hail to the southeast on Friday, with winds of up to 125 km/h and giant hail measuring five centimeters or more in diameter.
Overnight, much of the country was hit by strong storms, including southern Australia, southern Northern Territory, inner New South Wales and northwestern Victoria. Weatherzone recorded more than 200,000 lightning strikes.
South Australia bore the brunt of the storms.
Port Pirie in South Africa suffered winds of up to 137 km/h, while Roxby Downs and Tarcoola saw winds of 113 km/h. Mount Horrocks received 36mm of rain in just one hour.
Severe thunderstorm warning
LOCALLY DAMAGED AND DESTRUCTIVE WINDS AND LARGE HAIL
For people in the Eastern Eyre Peninsula, Flinders and parts of the Yorke Peninsula, Mid North, Northwest Pastoral, Northeast Pastoral and West Coast districts.
Broadcast at 6:07 pm Thursday, October 17 #SA pic.twitter.com/bNESYKQvKR— Bureau of Meteorology, South Australia (@BOM_SA) October 17, 2024
Bradbury said Friday that the cold front and low pressure system would move through the Southeast, with “warm, humid and windy weather” increasing throughout the day.
“The risk of thunderstorms will be widespread in the east, from southern Queensland to New South Wales, Victoria and northern Tasmania,” he said.
“Severe thunderstorms, carrying the risk of damaging winds, large hail and heavy rain, are possible today as the front moves across inner New South Wales and much of Victoria, including Melbourne.”
Storms were most likely to occur on the central and southwestern slopes of New South Wales and northeastern Victoria, with destructive wind gusts of over 125 km/h possible.
“We could also see giant hail or heavy rain along the East Coast,” Bradbury said. “For places like Sydney, Illawarra and Hunter, thunderstorms are possible today, but at this time they are not expected to be severe for Canberra and Melbourne.”
Bradbury said storms can cause downed trees, power outages, localized flash flooding and property damage.
An offshore wind warning was in effect for all states and territories except the ACT and NT on Friday. It said there was a severe weather warning for widespread damaging wind gusts of up to 90km/h for Victoria's central and eastern ranges, including Melbourne's northern outer suburbs.
Severe weather warning for DAMAGED WINDS, for people in parts of the Central, East Gippsland, North Central, North East, West and South Gippsland, South West and Wimmera forecast districts.
Issued at 4:45 p.m. on Thursday, October 17, 2024. #victory #Victory pic.twitter.com/3s6a4IpOks
— Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria (@BOM_Vic) October 17, 2024
The Bureau projected winds would ease from western Victoria during Friday morning and clear to the east in the afternoon, with separate severe thunderstorm warnings expected to be issued throughout the day.
Minor river flooding was expected in parts of Tasmania and Victoria due to expected rainfall. Flood warnings may be issued in the coming days, the BoM said.
Bradbury said overnight the front would move away from the east coast and take most of the severe weather out to sea.
“Southern Victoria, Tasmania and eastern New South Wales will see rain easing through Saturday with gusty southerly winds at times, it will be a little chilly in southern Victoria but still mild elsewhere.” Bradbury said.
“There is a small chance of thunderstorms in northeastern New South Wales and southeastern Queensland, but they are not expected to bring much rain or become severe.”
The easing of conditions would continue over the weekend. Sunday should be a mostly dry and partly cloudy to sunny day across the east and southeast.