Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane weather: Urgent weekend warning issued

Heavy rains and strong winds will continue to smash Australias east coast over the weekend with northern NSW to get the brunt of the wild weather.

An upper level trough is combining with tropical moisture to cause the rain, while blustery winds are whipping up from the south causing temperatures to drop and dangerous swells along the coast.

Possible heavy rainfalls and flooding could hit the states northeast on Friday, the Bureau of Meteorologys Miriam Bradbury said.

Thunderstorms are also a risk through southeast Queensland and northeast NSW and widespread falls of 20mm to 50mm are likely.

Into Saturday, a low pressure system could draw in moisture from the coast causing heavier falls in the mid-north coast and Northern Rivers areas with a potential for flash and riverine flooding.

The Bureau has issued a hazardous surf warning for the Byron Bay, Coffs Harbour and Macquarie coasts advising people should exercise caution when boating, rock fishing, surfing or swimming. 

The wintry conditions caused a Spring snowfall just west of Sydney in the Central Tablelands while the city itself shivered through its second coldest day of 2024 on Thursday with a maximum of 13C, the coldest being June 22 at the height of winter.

Further south, Melbourne will have milder weather with frost followed by sunshine on Friday and Saturday and showers on Sunday. Maximums will be around 20C.

Over on the countrys west coast there will be showers over much of WA, clearing by Sunday with maximum temperatures in Peth also hovering around 20C.

A wintry blast of strong winds and rain is likely to persist in NSW into the weekend (pictured: Sydney on Thursday)

This rainfall map for Friday shows huge swathes of the country are in for a wet start to the weekend

Sydney 

Friday: Max 18 Shower or two easing. Possible rainfall: 0 to 2 mm. Chance of any rain: 60 per cent.

Sydney area: Cloudy. Medium chance of showers, becoming less likely in the late morning. Winds southeasterly 20 to 30 km/h, increasing to 30 to 40 km/h along the coastal fringe.

Saturday: Min 14 Max  20 Shower or two. Possible rainfall: 0 to 1 mm. Chance of any rain: 50 per cent.

Sydney area: Cloudy. Medium chance of showers. Winds east to southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h tending east to northeasterly during the day.

Sunday: Min 15 Max 23 Shower or two. Possible rainfall: 0 to 6 mm. Chance of any rain: 70 per cent.

Sydney area: Cloudy. High chance of showers. Light winds becoming northeasterly 15 to 25 km/h during the day then becoming light during the evening.

Brisbane

Friday: Max 21 Rain easing. Possible rainfall: 7 to 25 mm. Chance of any rain: 95 per cent.

Brisbane area: Cloudy. Very high chance of rain, becoming less likely in the late morning. The chance of a thunderstorm this morning. Winds southerly 20 to 30 km/h.

Saturday: Min 15 Max 20. Shower or two. Possible rainfall: 0 to 8 mm. Chance of any rain: 70 per cent.

Brisbane area: Cloudy. High chance of showers, most likely in the late morning and afternoon. The chance of a thunderstorm. Winds southerly 25 to 35 km/h.

Sunday: Min 15 Max 25 Possible shower. Possible rainfall: 0 to 1 mm. Chance of any rain: 40 per cent.

Brisbane area: Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers in the morning and afternoon. Winds south to southeasterly 15 to 25 km/h becoming light during the evening.  

Strong winds and rain will particularly hit southeast Queensland and northeast NSW

Melbourne

Friday: Max 17 Becoming sunny. Chance of any rain: 5 per cent.

Melbourne area: Becoming Sunny. Patches of morning frost in the northeast suburbs. Light winds.

Saturday: Min 7 Max 23 Sunny. Chance of any rain: 5 per cent.

Melbourne area: Sunny. The chance of frost about the nearby hills in the early morning. Winds northerly 30 to 45 km/h.

Sunday: Min 15 Max 19 Showers. Possible rainfall: 2 to 9 mm. Chance of any rain: 95 per cent.

Melbourne area: Cloudy. Very high chance of showers, most likely in the morning and afternoon. Winds northerly 35 to 50 km/h tending northwest to southwesterly 15 to 25 km/h during the afternoon then becoming light during the evening.  

Canberra 

Friday: Max 16 Sunny. Chance of any rain: 5 per cent.

Canberra area: Sunny. The chance of morning frost. Winds southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h tending easterly in the middle of the day then becoming light in the evening.

Saturday: Summary Min 1Max 19 Early frost. Partly cloudy. Chance of any rain: 10 per cent.

Canberra area: Partly cloudy. Patches of frost in the early morning. Light winds becoming northeasterly 15 to 20 km/h in the middle of the day then becoming light in the evening.

Sunday: Min 5 Max 20 Shower or two. Possible rainfall: 0 to 2 mm. Chance of any rain: 50 per cent.

Canberra area: Cloudy. Medium chance of showers, most likely in the afternoon and evening. Light winds becoming northwesterly 15 to 25 km/h during the day then becoming light during the evening.   

On Thursday the NSW Central Tablelands saw a Spring snowfall courtesy of the wintry weather

Adelaide

Friday: Max 22 Sunny. Chance of any rain: 0 per cent.

Adelaide area: Sunny. Winds north to northeasterly 15 to 20 km/h tending east to northeasterly in the early afternoon.

Saturday: Min 13 Max 26 Showers developing. Possible rainfall: 1 to 7 mm. Chance of any rain: 90 per cent.

Adelaide area: Mostly sunny morning. Very high chance of showers in the late afternoon and evening. Winds north to northeasterly 25 to 35 km/h tending north to northwesterly 20 to 30 km/h in the afternoon.

Sunday: Min 12 Max 18. Showers easing. Possible rainfall: 1 to 6 mm. Chance of any rain: 90 per cent.

Adelaide area: Partly cloudy. High chance of showers, most likely in the morning. Winds northwesterly 20 to 30 km/h turning southwesterly during the morning.  

Perth

Friday: Max 19 Showers. Possible rainfall: 3 to 15 mm. Chance of any rain: 95 per cent.

Perth area: Cloudy. Very high chance of showers, becoming less likely late this afternoon and evening. Winds west to northwesterly 15 to 20 km/h turning southwesterly 25 to 35 km/h during the morning and early afternoon then decreasing to 15 to 25 km/h in the evening.

Saturday: Min 9 Max 18 Partly cloudy. Possible rainfall: 0 to 1 mm. Chance of any rain: 30 per cent.

Perth area: Partly cloudy. Slight chance of a shower in the morning and early afternoon. Light winds becoming southwesterly 15 to 20 km/h in the middle of the day then becoming light in the evening.

Sunday: Min 8 Max 20 Partly cloudy. Chance of any rain: 10 per cent.

Perth area: Partly cloudy. Slight chance of a shower about the southern suburbs, near zero chance elsewhere. Light winds becoming southwesterly 15 to 20 km/h during the afternoon then becoming light during the evening.

The rain should ease by Sunday in most areas, according to the Bureau of Meteorology 

Darwin 

Friday: Max 33 Possible shower. Possible rainfall: 0 to 2 mm. Chance of any rain: 40 per cent.

Darwin City and Outer Darwin area: Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers and the chance of a thunderstorm early this morning, then again this afternoon and early evening. Light winds becoming north to northwesterly 15 to 20 km/h in the early afternoon then becoming light in the evening.

Saturday: Min 25 Max 33. Partly cloudy. Chance of any rain: 20 per cent.

Darwin City and Outer Darwin area: Partly cloudy. Slight chance of a shower. Light winds becoming west to northwesterly 15 to 20 km/h in the early afternoon then becoming light in the evening.

Sunday: Min 26 Max 35 Partly cloudy. Chance of any rain: 20 per cent.

Darwin City and Outer Darwin area: Partly cloudy. Slight chance of a shower, most likely in the afternoon. The chance of a thunderstorm about the Cox Peninsula in the morning and afternoon. Light winds becoming west to northwesterly 15 to 20 km/h during the afternoon then becoming light during the evening.  

Hobart

Friday: Max 17 Partly cloudy. Chance of any rain: 5 per cent.

Hobart area: Partly cloudy. Winds northwesterly 15 to 20 km/h becoming light in the middle of the day.

Saturday: Min 4 Max 21 Mostly sunny. Chance of any rain: 5 per cent.

Hobart area: Mostly sunny. The chance of frost in the east in the early morning. Light winds becoming northerly 15 to 20 km/h in the late evening.

Sunday: Min 10Max 20Shower or two. Possible rainfall: 0 to 2 mm. Chance of any rain: 60 per cent.

Hobart area: Cloudy. Medium chance of showers, most likely in the morning and afternoon. Winds northerly 25 to 35 km/h turning northwesterly during the day then decreasing to 20 to 30 km/h during the evening.