City braces for weeks of rain

The unrelenting rain that has lingered over Sydney for weeks is forecast to stick around, with widespread rain and thunderstorms forecast for the nation’s eastern inland.

The city is reportedly just half way through a two-week stretch of rainy days, with about 130mm of rain recorded at the Sydney Observatory in the first seven days of May.

A “stubborn high pressure system” is keeping a large amount of moisture the atmosphere over the east of the country this week, WeatherZone reports.

Wet weather is expected to hit multiple states heading into the weekend, including NSW and Qld, the northeast of SA and southern parts of the NT.

Thunderstorms could develop across NSW, southern Qld and parts of Victoria from Friday to Sunday.

The most significant rainfall in the coming days is forecast in the Illawarra and South Coast, with between 50mm and 250mm expected in just two days.

Flood warnings are likely to be issued as the weekend approaches, with locals and weekend visitors warned to factor this into their travel plans.

Between 20 and 40mm of rain are possible in western NSW, parts of northern Victoria and southern QLD, while some areas in western NSW should see 50 to 80mm.

Weekend rainfall along the east coast could result in rises in already saturated coastal catchments.

Despite this, the bureau has forecast that below average rainfall for most of the country is likely for the rest of this month.

The latest long range forecast expects an equal chance of either above or below median rainfall during June and July.

Warmer than usual days and nights are likely across much of the country, with some cooler than average nights likely in the parts on the southern mainland during May.

The long-range forecast is influenced by several factors, including record-warm oceans globally and a possible developing positive Indian Ocean Dipole event.