Heavy rain, severe thunderstorms, damaging winds and large hail will wash across eastern Australia this week. But experts say the rainfall will not do much to subdue the bushfire season expected to be the worst since black summer.
Wet weather was expected to move across inland New South Wales and northern Victoria on Tuesday. The states could see rainfall up to 150mm on Wednesday, according to Dean Narramore, a senior meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology.
Severe thunderstorms would also hit south-east Queensland by Wednesday, with damaging wind gusts and hail reaching south-east inland, and heavy rainfall possible in north and central Queensland.
The NSW State Emergency Service has urged people not to drive if flash flooding occurs, and warns that the Moruya and Deua river catchment could see moderate to major flooding on the south coast.
SES resources, including flood rescue technicians, aviation assets and high-clearance vehicles, have been deployed ahead of the predicted weather.
“It’s important people prepare by doing simple tasks around their home to minimise the impact of storms,” said the SES chief superintendent, Dallas Burnes.
He advised people to keep clear of creeks and storm drains, and during heavy storms unplug computers and appliances, avoid using the phone and stay away from windows indoors.
“Trimming trees around your property, securing loose items in your yards, moving your cars under cover and cleaning your gutters will help minimise the impacts of strong winds and significant rain,” he said.
Wet weather was expected to continue into the weekend.
The rain would be a relief to areas experiencing a high degree of fire activity, such as northern parts of NSW and the state’s south coast, according to the Rural Fire Service deputy commissioner, Peter McKechnie.
“We saw a fire just to the south of Cobar easily burn just over 10,000 hectares over the weekend, so the rain will provide some relief for the immediate term.”
But above-average November temperatures were “likely to dry [dampness] in a lot of areas relatively quickly”.
“Things are probably going to be on the damp side, but it doesn’t take long at this time of year to dry out,” Narramore said. “Normally we need multiple widespread events to really push back [bushfire season].”
In some areas, rain may also increase the rate of growth of grasslands that fuel bushfires.
“We don’t complain about [the rain], don’t get me wrong,” McKechnie said. “Having some now is a great relief and has allowed some areas to get back to a sense of normality.”
But he urged locals to not become complacent. “[The rain] certainly hasn’t ended the fire season,” he said. “We still have the actual summer period to get through.”
