Severe thunderstorms with hail and strong winds forecast for NSW

The Bureau of Meteorology said Sunday will bring "very dangerous and severe thunderstorms" to north-eastern New South Wales, with the potential for hail larger than 5 cm and wind gusts exceeding 120 km/h. The outlook is driven by a southerly change pushing up the coast, which could trigger high-end supercell storms, senior meteorologist Sarah Scully explained.

Saturday’s storms dumped 30-50 mm of rain across the Coffs Harbour area and produced gusts up to 98 km/h in Goulburn. A man in his 20s was struck by lightning while swimming at Ettalong Beach on the Central Coast. Fellow swimmers rescued him and first responders performed CPR until paramedics arrived. He was taken to Gosford Hospital in serious condition and later transferred to Royal North Shore Hospital, where a spokesperson said he was in a critical but stable condition on Sunday morning.

Meteorologists warned that hail of 2 cm, wind gusts over 90 km/h, heavy rainfall and flash flooding could affect a broader region of NSW, extending inland toward the eastern Sydney ranges and into south-east and central Queensland. Sydney is expected to see rain and thunderstorms, though less severe than further north, with a forecast high of 23 °C. Brisbane could see showers and thunderstorms with temperatures reaching 31 °C.

The BoM indicated more severe weather warnings would be issued throughout Sunday as the storms develop. On Monday, the risk of high-end thunderstorms is projected to shift to the northern rivers of NSW and south-eastern Queensland, including Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast, with a continued threat of large hail, destructive winds and intense rain that could cause flash flooding.

A coastal trough and low-pressure system forming off the north coast of NSW near the Queensland border may bring additional rain. Scully noted that rainfall totals will depend on the trough’s proximity to the coast, estimating moderate totals of 30-70 mm for Monday, but cautioned that small shifts could produce significantly higher amounts.

Elsewhere, showers are forecast for Melbourne with a high of 17 °C, while Hobart expects a high of 13 °C, Adelaide 20 °C, Canberra 24 °C, Perth 28 °C, and Darwin 34 °C with an afternoon storm.