To cap off a gloomy 2020, northern and eastern Australia could experience widespread showers and thunderstorms on Christmas Day, while southern Australia will likely have a reprieve with a fine and sunny day in Adelaide and good conditions in Melbourne, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
Senior meteorologist with the bureau, Dean Narramore, said the area of major concern was northern Australia, particularly around the Kimberley.
“A monsoon trough is developing across northern Australia. We’re going to see a tropical low develop within that this weekend, and it’s going to slowly move across the top end and into the Kimberley. As we move into early next week, we’re likely to see widespread heavy rainfall associated with that [and] falls of anywhere from 150-300mm likely, with oscillated falls heavier than that,” he said.
“So flooding is a major concern to parts of the Kimberley and also through those kind of desert areas.”
The heavy rainfall southeast Queensland and northeast New South Wales has experienced this week is not likely to stay on Christmas Day, but Narramore said the weather would still be poor.
“We’re expecting days of hit and miss showers and thunderstorms with isolated heavy falls possible, so it’s continuing to be an isolated flash flood threat in the coming days, and leading up to Christmas.”
There will be sunny patches, he said, but the best weather on Christmas Day will be reserved for the southern parts of Australia.
Perth could see temperatures near 40C before Christmas, but on Christmas Day itself temperatures will be 32C, with a chance of a shower but mostly sunny, he said.
Adelaide will have a “beautiful day” for a barbecue with 28C and mostly sunny.
Melbourne will have temperatures in the low 20s, light cloud with sunny breaks particularly in the afternoon.
The city is expected to have similar conditions on Boxing Day for the long-awaited cricket Boxing Day Test.
Hobart will be cooler at around 17C, partly cloudy.
Sydney and Canberra will both have temperatures in the high 20s, but there is a chance of a shower or thunderstorm in the afternoon.
Brisbane will have hit and miss showers and thunderstorms, Narramore said, with temperatures in the mid-20s.
Darwin will have showers and thunderstorms with a temperature of 31C.
