‘Cracking triple digits’: Weather washout due

A vicious weather system off the east coast could bring a dangerous weekend featuring nine metre waves, gale force winds and rain “cracking triple digits,” forecasters have said.

Northern areas of New South Wales and southern regions of Queensland could be at risk but messy conditions can be expected across a wide swath of the coast.

It comes after heavy rainfall deluged the NSW mid north coast late last week with more than 100mm of rain in just 24 hours.

Rain can be expected in Brisbane, Sydney and Adelaide.

“The primary reason we will see more rain in the coming couple of days is because of the development of a low pressure area over the water about in line with the NSW and Queensland border,” said Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Angus Hines.

“That low will continue to feed the moisture, the rain, the strong winds particularly on Saturday.

“Then on Sunday, we will see this low slowly weaken and move away to the north east,” he said.

Severe weather warnings for damaging winds – possibly up to 100km/h – are in place for Queensland’s south east coast, the Darling Downs and the NSW coast from Coffs Harbour northwards.

“We’ve got the wind absolutely whistling up the northern New South Wales coast,” said Mr Hines.

“The strongest rain is hugging the north eastern coastline.

“Places here could see between 70 and 100 millimetres of rain over the next few days, and it’s likely that a few of the rain gauges along this strip will see more than 100 millimetres cracking those triple digits”.

The BOM has warned that with the heavy rain flooding is possible from rivers in the area.

Lismore is looking at as much as 90mm of precipitation on Saturday.

Byron Bay could see up to 80mm of rain on Saturday with thunderstorms and damaging winds with similar totals for Grafton and Coffs Harbour.

A wave of 8.6 metres was reported off of Coffs Harbour on Friday and similar waves of nine metres, or close to it, can be expected on Saturday.

Rain totals of up to 50mm could fall on the Gold Coast on Saturday. Brisbane, just outside of the deluge zone, could still receive up to 15mm on a 20C maximum Saturday with just the odd shower on Sunday which should reach up to 26C.

Sydney will escape most of the rain with just a few spots on a 20C Saturday but heavier falls, approaching 6mm, could occur on a slightly warmer Sunday.

Dry in Canberra on Saturday with a 19C high but freezing start. Sunday will see a similar maximum and a possible shower.

Melbourne will likely have a gloriously sunny Saturday with a 23C maximum and 7C minimum. But the rain clouds will roll through on Sunday morning with around 8mm of moisture descending.

A mostly dry weekend for Hobart with a 21C high on Saturday and the same on Sunday with a possible shower.

Adelaide could see a soggy weekend. After a mostly sunny Saturday morning up to 10mm of rain could fall in the late afternoon and evening continuing into early Sunday morning with up to another 6mm due

A high of 25C in the South Australian capital on Saturday dropping to 18C on Sunday. Lows overnight will be around 12C.

No rain to speak off in Perth with weekend highs in the late teens or just pushing 20C and lows of 9C.

Albany could see up to 6mm of rain across the weekend and a high of 18C on Sunday. A sunny weekend reaching 35C on Broome.

Some cloud for Darwin with 33-35C maximum temperature and lows of 25C this weekend.

Townsville is looking dry and mostly sunny with 30C highs.