Millions of people across Australia’s east coast can expect another week of wet and wild weather, including those in already flooded regions.
The Bureau of Meteorology warned on Monday that widespread rain was expected across eastern Australia in coming days.
“For many communities, this does mean an increased flood risk – not just for those who have recently experienced flooding, but for those currently in flood,” meteorologist Jonathan How said.
Rain is forecast from the Northern Territory south across mainland Australia to east Gippsland in Victoria. Mr How said widespread falls of more than 50 millimetres were likely for southern Queensland, much of NSW, northern Victoria and northern Tasmania by Friday night.
NSW is expected to bear the brunt of the wild weather when rain begins to fall from Tuesday. It will be followed by a second, stronger front later in the week.
Mr How said minor and moderate flood warnings remained for many rivers in the east.
“With the upcoming rainfall, we are anticipating issuing further flood watches and warnings right across the south-east,” he said.
“Catchments are wet and rivers will respond very quickly.”
In South Australia, the SES has already issued a flood advice, warning of the “potential for flash flooding in the Flinders district over the next two days, due to isolated heavy rain falls”.
“This might lead to flash flooding within the creek systems, causing flowing water across roads at short notice. Even if it is not raining, there is still the potential for creeks to flood,” the advice issued on Monday said.
This week’s forecast for yet more rain comes as parts of NSW remained isolated on Monday after last week’s downpours.
Wee Waa in the New England region of NSW has been isolated by flooding on the Namoi River, with the SES delivering supplies to isolated areas.
Last Friday, the NSW SES moved to the Australian Warning System, a nationally consistent three-tier alert already used by the NSW Rural Fire Service.
It hoped the advice, watch and act, and emergency warning alerts would provide clearer, more useful information when it was needed.
Warnings will continue to be sent via SMS, on the SES website and social media, and via media outlets.
The change followed a review of flooding in NSW earlier this year by chief scientist Mary O’Kane and former police commissioner Mick Fuller, which found the old system needed an overhaul.
“Many people said that the weather and rainfall information received was inaccurate and that warnings and orders from the SES were inadequate,” the report noted.
Storm season officially began in NSW on Saturday. Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke has warned it will be wetter than usual.
“The annual increased frequency of storms, strong winds and rain will coincide with a third consecutive La Nina, which means communities right across the state will remain on high alert,” Ms Cooke said last week.
“But it’s important that we’re not complacent.”
The BOM confirmed last week that Australians could expect a wet summer, with cooler temperatures between October and December.
The rare, third consecutive La Nina and reverse Indian Ocean Dipole events had created conditions for increased rainfall, the bureau said.
-with AAP
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