Saturday 13th of july 1.11p.m. Mostly sunny and blue. 20.4 / 22.2kph SW, Hg 40%, 15.4C / 59.7F top of 18C / 64F. Marine wind warning. Hazardous surf.
Gale Warning for the following areas:
Illawarra Coast, Batemans Coast and Eden Coast.
Surf and swell conditions are expected to be hazardous for coastal activities such as rock fishing, boating, and swimming in the following areas: Hunter Coast, Sydney Coast, Illawarra Coast, Batemans Coast and Eden Coast. Surf's up!
Moon is 42.7%
Intense winter storm to bring heavy rain, gales, bitter cold and snow to eastern Australia
8 hours ago
By ABC meteorologist Tom Saunders
A rapidly deepening low-pressure system in the Tasman Sea will track towards the coast this weekend, the precursor to a bout of severe winter weather across eastern Australia.
The system will bring multiple threats to south-east states from Sunday, including gale-force winds, heavy rain, huge surf and possibly Alpine blizzards.
The intense low will also sling a cold polar air mass a long way north, bringing icy temperatures from Tasmania to central Queensland, and the first snow in two years to parts of the New South Wales ranges.
Deep low to generate fierce winds and rain
The Tasman low initially formed on Friday and will further intensify off the coast this weekend.
The system's centre will track south on Saturday around 600 kilometres off the NSW coast, then begin a clockwise loop from Sunday, bringing the storm within striking distance of the east coast.
Modelling predicts the low will approach Tasmania on Sunday, then make a right-hand turn from Monday to Wednesday, shifting up the coast to Victoria and NSW.
The precise wind threat is dependent on the low's exact position, with a track nearer to the coast resulting in severe gales across Tasmania, eastern Victoria and south-east NSW, along with possible damaging gusts extending up the NSW ranges.
The ferocity of winds could down trees and lead to power outages, while bringing a significant wind chill — feeling as much as 10 degrees colder than the observed air temperature.
