A cold front moving across southeastern Australia is expected to bring cooler temperatures throughout next week, following a cold, wet, and windy spring weekend in parts of New South Wales and Victoria.
Rain is forecast for southeast Queensland and the New South Wales mid and north coasts in the coming days, but not to the same extent as seen over the weekend.
Melbourne is anticipated to experience a frosty start on Monday morning, with temperatures reaching 9°C before rising to a high of 19°C during the day.
Sydney will be warmer, with temperatures of 17°C at dawn and a high of 20°C on Monday. Up to 7mm of rain is expected in parts of Sydney, and Melbourne has a higher chance of light showers on Tuesday.
Canberra can expect cool evenings for the next week, with lows reaching 7°C, and Hobart is forecast to drop to 9°C overnight on Monday.
These chilly nights follow heavy wind and rain that battered residents of New South Wales and southeastern Queensland on Saturday night. Authorities issued flood warnings, which were subsequently downgraded.
The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) responded to over 270 calls for assistance in the 24 hours leading up to 9am on Sunday, and has received 628 calls since Friday's severe weather began. Two adults and a baby were rescued from rising floodwaters in Cougal, west of Tweed Heads, and another rescue occurred in nearby Uki, where a car towing a vehicle became stuck on a causeway. Two further rescues took place after vehicles drove into floodwaters late Saturday and early Sunday morning.
Approximately 4,300 energy customers in the region were without power on Saturday night. Hundreds remained without power, though easing conditions are expected to facilitate restoration efforts.
A senior meteorologist with the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), Miriam Bradbury, attributed the severe weather along the NSW coast to a cold front moving in from the south and a low-pressure system off the state's northern coast. "We've seen some very strong winds and significant rainfall," Bradbury stated. "However, the low is starting to weaken and move away from the coast."
The SES downgraded warnings on Sunday morning following heavy rain and flooding in areas around Lismore. "The flood risk remains, but at a minor level," the SES reported.
Minor flooding is anticipated in the Tweed, Rous, Wilsons, Richmond, and Orara rivers. A minor-to-moderate flood warning remains in effect for the Bellinger River. Severe weather warnings for the northern rivers and northern tablelands districts have been cancelled, providing relief from the strong winds that impacted the region.
Across northern Australia, the Top End and Kimberley are experiencing hotter-than-average temperatures, with heatwave conditions developing. "We expect very warm days and nights in those areas," Bradbury noted.
