The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has issued warnings for severe thunderstorms across parts of New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria on Saturday. Destructive winds exceeding 125 km/h and large hail are expected, particularly in the Hunter, mid-north coast, and northern tablelands of NSW.
BoM meteorologist Christie Johnson described the storms as 'very dangerous,' with potential for wind gusts strong enough to bring down trees and power lines, causing property damage and travel delays. The Sydney metropolitan area faces the highest risk from late morning through early afternoon.
Warm temperatures ahead of a cold front will bring highs of 32°C in Sydney, 31°C in Newcastle, and 29°C in Wollongong, with elevated fire danger across central and eastern NSW. A fire weather warning is in place for the north-western fire district.
In Queensland, showers and thunderstorms are expected to extend from the north-west to the south-east interior, moving towards the south-east coast later in the day. Victoria may see rainfall totals of 15 to 30 mm across large areas from Melbourne's east to Gippsland and the NSW border, with possible minor riverine flooding.
