Australian Weather

25 Aug 2026, 1:40AM UTC

A low pressure system will continue to drive rain and thunderstorms across parts of eastern and southeastern Australia on Tuesday after delivering the heaviest rain in four years to parts of South Australia on Monday. The low pressure system and an associated trough are tapping into abundant atmospheric moisture to cause widespread rain and storms across parts of southern, central and eastern Australia in the first half of this week. On Monday, the heaviest rain fell over southern parts SA while a long line of thunderstorms stretched more than 1,500 km north across the Red Centre into the Northern Territory. This wet and stormy weather then spread further east on Monday night into Tuesday morning, affecting parts of NSW, Victoria and Queensland. The Weatherzone Total Lightning Network detected around 70,000 lightning pulses across SA, the NT and western Qld between midday on Monday and 6am on Tuesday, AEST. Image: Observed lightning pulses within 800 km of the marker shown on the SA/NT border during the 18 hours ending at 6am AEST on Tuesday, August 25, 2026. Source: Weatherzone. Heaviest August rain in decades for parts of SA Multiple bouts of rain fell over the Mount Lofty Ranges and Adelaide region on Monday and Tuesday morning. These areas saw widespread 24-hour rainfall totals of 20 to 50 mm with isolated falls around 60 to 70 mm. Some of the standout rainfall totals during the 24 hours ending at 9am local time on Tuesday, August 25, included: 62 mm at Mount Lofty, SA – its heaviest rain since June 2022 35 mm at Cummins, SA – its heaviest rain since February 2022 31.2 mm at Kingscote, SA – heaviest rain in 4 years, and wettest August day in 33 years 29.8 mm at Adelaide, SA – heaviest August rain in 34 years 22 mm at Murray Bridge, SA – heaviest August rain in 40 years Impressively, Adelaide is now having its wettest winter in 22 years after this latest round of rain brought the city’s running total for the season up to 293.8 mm. Rain and storms spreading through Vic, NSW and Qld The rain associated with this large weather system started spreading across parts of Vic, NSW, Qld and the ACT on Monday night. By 9am local time on Tuesday, some areas in southern inland NSW and the ACT had already received 30 to 60 mm of rain, while parts of central and northeast Vic had picked up 15 to 45 mm. Falls were lighter in Qld as of Tuesday morning, although 5 to 15 mm totals were decent falls by local standards across the state’s far west and southwest. Rain will continue to move over parts of Vic, NSW, the ACT and Qld on Tuesday, with thunderstorms likely to develop over northern Vic, western NSW and southern Qld, most likely in the afternoon and early evening. Some of these storms will become severe, with damaging winds, large hail and heavy rain all a threat. Image: Hourly forecast graph for Tamworth, NSW on the Weatherzone app. On Wednesday, showers will mostly contract to eastern NSW and southeast Qld as the system begins to move offshore. Lingering instability in the atmosphere may cause a few more thunderstorms in central and northeast NSW and far southeast Qld on Wednesday, although these generally won’t be as intense or widespread as Tuesday’s storms.   Image: Forecast accumulated rain during the 48 hours ending at 10 pm AEST on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. Source: Weatherzone. Rain will also affect parts of Tasmania on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the heaviest falls in the state’s west. Snow is also possible over the state’s western and central highlands as temperatures drop on Wednesday. Flood watches and warnings have been issued in parts of SA, NSW and Vic for this system. Severe thunderstorm warnings may also be issued on Tuesday as storm activity increases into the afternoon. Check the radar and latest warnings in your area for the most up-to-date information on rain and storms in the next two days.

24 Aug 2026, 3:47AM UTC

Rain and thunderstorms will spread across a broad area of central and eastern Australia between Monday and Wednesday this week. Severe thunderstorms are likely in several states and flooding will be a risk for parts of NSW and Victoria. A low pressure system and associated low pressure trough interacting with a feed of tropical moisture will cause the outbreak of rain and storms during the first half of this week. The satellite image below shows clouds associated with this low and trough sitting over central and southern Australia on Monday. Image: Visible satellite image showing clouds over Australia at 12:20 pm AEST on Monday, August 24, 2026. Source: Weatherzone. Rain and storms spreading from west to east Rain was mainly falling over SA, the southern NT and Tasmania on Monday morning but will spread further east into Qld, NSW and Vic on Monday afternoon and night. Thunderstorms are also likely to develop over parts of SA and the NT from Monday afternoon. As the system moves further east on Monday night and Tuesday, rain and storms will increase over Vic, NSW and southern Qld, with showers also lingering in parts of SA and Tas. Rain is likely to become heavy along the ranges in southern NSW and northeast Vic from Monday night into Tuesday morning, which has prompted severe weather warnings for heavy rainfall and flash flooding in both states. A flood watch is also in place for parts of North West, Central and North East Victoria, where minor to moderate flooding is possible from Tuesday. Severe thunderstorms are possible over a broad corridor stretching from northern Vic up through western NSW and into southern Qld on Tuesday. Image: Modelled thunderstorm risk at 4 pm AEST on Tuesday, August 25, 2026. This is just a guide to thunderstorm risk and storms can occur outside the shaded areas in this image. Source: Weatherzone. The system will start moving off the east coast and out over the Tasman Sea from Wednesday, causing rain and storms to contract to eastern NSW and southeast Qld. Drier and calmer weather will return to eastern Australia from Thursday. Most of the thunderstorms associated with this system will occur behind the initial rain band because that is where the atmosphere will be most unstable. This means some areas may see a period of persistent rain followed by potentially severe thunderstorm activity. How much rain will fall? This system will be tapping into a good amount of atmospheric moisture and converting it to rain. In some areas, this rain will be enhanced by thunderstorms or orographic lifting (air rising over a mountain range), causing localised areas of heavy rainfall. Widespread rainfall totals of 10 to 30 mm are likely in SA, Vic, NSW, the ACT and southern Qld, and parts of the NT and Tas. Heavier falls are likely on and west of the ranges in southern NSW and northeast Vic, where accumulated totals could reach about 50 to 100 mm, with most of this falling between Monday night and Tuesday night. Image: Forecast accumulated rain during the 72 hours ending at 10 pm AEST on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. Source: Weatherzone. Staying safe in this severe weather event Check the latest warnings and road closures in your area for the most up-to-date information before heading out and remember to never drive through floodwater. Several warnings have already been issued for this system, including a flood watch for riverine flooding and severe weather warnings for heavy rain and flash flooding. The Bureau of Meteorology also has the following safety advice: Don't drive, walk, swim or play in floodwater because it is dangerous. Stay away from flooded drains, rivers, streams and waterways. Obey road closure signs. Plan ahead so you don't drive on flooded roads. Check the ABC and local media for updates. The situation can change quickly, so stay informed. Contact the State Emergency Service on 132 500 if you need emergency assistance. Always call 000 (triple-zero) in life-threatening emergencies.