Thunderstorms, heavy rain and flash flooding predicted for much of Australia
News Source
β’Fri, 23 Oct 2026 23:26:05 GMT
π° What Happened
The Bureau of Meteorology is warning of severe thunderstorms, heavy rain and flash flooding across South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania this weekend. It comes after a very wet week in Queensland, where nine flood warnings were in place on Saturday morning.
Storms are forecast for Rockhampton, Gladstone, Bundaberg, the Sunshine Coast hinterlands and Roma. Parts of Victoria, including Melbourne's eastern suburbs, and central and eastern South Australia could also be hit. Heavy rain should reach Tasmania overnight into Sunday.
A cold front moves across NSW on Sunday, bringing severe storms to the west of the state, north-east Victoria, Sydney and Brisbane.
π The Backstory
Some parts of Queensland copped more than twice their average October rainfall in just a few days. The Sunshine Coast hinterlands and Caboolture recorded 300-400mm in seven days, with some spots near 450mm.
Thursday's downpour caused flash flooding, hundreds of calls for help and more than 16 water rescues, including a raft rescue of an elderly man clinging to the roof of his car. Several schools closed on Friday.
Bureau senior meteorologist David Crock said the pattern was much more typical of summer than late October, and that moisture had kept pumping in for more than a week.
π― Why It Matters
If you live in the path of these storms, check the warnings and never drive through floodwater. Flash floods can rise in minutes, and this system is crossing several states.
The Bureau of Meteorology is warning of severe thunderstorms, heavy rain and flash flooding across South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania this weekend. It comes after a very wet week in Queensland, where nine flood warnings were in place on Saturday morning.
Storms are forecast for Rockhampton, Gladstone, Bundaberg, the Sunshine Coast hinterlands and Roma. Parts of Victoria, including Melbourne's eastern suburbs, and central and eastern South Australia could also be hit. Heavy rain should reach Tasmania overnight into Sunday.
A cold front moves across NSW on Sunday, bringing severe storms to the west of the state, north-east Victoria, Sydney and Brisbane.
Some parts of Queensland copped more than twice their average October rainfall in just a few days. The Sunshine Coast hinterlands and Caboolture recorded 300-400mm in seven days, with some spots near 450mm.
Thursday's downpour caused flash flooding, hundreds of calls for help and more than 16 water rescues, including a raft rescue of an elderly man clinging to the roof of his car. Several schools closed on Friday.
Bureau senior meteorologist David Crock said the pattern was much more typical of summer than late October, and that moisture had kept pumping in for more than a week.
If you live in the path of these storms, check the warnings and never drive through floodwater. Flash floods can rise in minutes, and this system is crossing several states.