Millions of Aussies told to brace for heavy downpours and flash flooding as mammoth weather system moves across the country
Australians across several states have been warned to brace for heavy rain, storms and flash flooding as a large low-pressure system sweeps across the country from west to east. The Bureau of Meteorology says northeastern Victoria and southern New South Wales will bear the brunt, with catchments in northern Victoria already saturated and at heightened risk of further flooding.
Forecasters expect 40 to 60mm of rain in parts of Victoria and southern NSW on Tuesday, while South Australia's Eyre and Yorke peninsulas and the Adelaide Hills could see 30 to 50mm, with the region already wet from recent downpours. Flood warnings have been issued for the Kiewa, Loddon and Avoca catchments, with rivers including the Murray, Mitta Mitta, Ovens and Goulburn expected to rise between Monday and Wednesday. Strong winds are also forecast for South Australia's coastal areas, before the system tracks on to the Tasman Sea by Wednesday, bringing welcome rain to drier parts of eastern NSW and southern Queensland.
- Major low-pressure system to bring heavy rain and flash flooding nationwide
- Northeastern Victoria and southern NSW expected to be worst affected
- Flood warnings issued for several already-saturated Victorian river catchments
New here? Start with this
Australia is bracing for a large weather system, known as a low-pressure system, moving across the country from west to east. This has brought warnings of heavy rain, storms and flash flooding to several states, with the Bureau of Meteorology, the national weather agency, singling out northeastern Victoria and southern New South Wales as areas likely to be worst affected. Ground in parts of northern Victoria is already sodden from earlier rain, meaning it cannot easily absorb more, which raises the risk of flooding.
The system matters because it threatens both people and property along the way, from rivers bursting their banks to roads becoming impassable in a flash flood. Catchments, the areas of land that drain into rivers, are being watched closely in Victoria and South Australia, since rising water levels there can affect towns and farmland downstream. Authorities issue flood warnings for specific rivers and regions so residents have time to prepare or move to safety.
As the system continues eastward, it is expected to affect an increasingly wide area, including South Australia's coastline and, eventually, parts of eastern New South Wales and southern Queensland. In some drier regions, the rain is being described as beneficial rather than purely disruptive, since those areas have been short of rainfall. This mix of flood risk in saturated areas and welcome relief in drier ones is central to why the story is being followed closely.