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Cold change brings to an end stormy run for NSW

Thunderstorms over the last few days have brought welcome rain to many parts of New South Wales, but a colder change now entering the state will put an end to the unsettled period, according to weatherzone.com.au.

In the 24 hours to 9am today, Merriwa, in the Hunter Valley, picked up 47mm, its highest October daily rainfall in 23 years. Storms in this area yesterday afternoon also brought totals of 45mm to Jerrys Plains and 37mm to Gulgong.

"The storms across New South Wales during the last few days have been caused by a slow-moving trough of low pressure. This trough has been fed by very moist air streaming down from Queensland, resulting in the high rainfall totals that have been recorded in a number of areas," weatherzone.com.au meteorologist Matt Pearce said.

The focus for severe storms today will be in a band from the NSW/Queensland border down to the Mid North Coast, contracting further northeast during the afternoon. Heavy rainfall and damaging winds will once again be the main threats from these storms.

However, a strong cold front crossing southern parts of the state is providing a trigger for a secondary area of storms over southeastern New South Wales.

"There is a small burst of very cold air moving into southeastern New South Wales at the moment behind a front. The combination of this cold air with the moisture left over from recent days is resulting in more storms across the ACT and southern New South Wales coast. These storms may produce hail and strong wind gusts," Pearce said.

"There is even the chance that these storms may move into parts of the Sydney metropolitan area later on today or this evening."

"However, once this cold air moves out into the Tasman tonight, we are then likely to see a period of more settled weather across the state through the rest of this week as a ridge of high pressure moves in."


- Weatherzone

© Weatherzone 2008

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