Prepare to get hammered to the cross by rain and thunder on Good Friday, east coasters, for some wild and woolly storms are heading your way.
It would appear that Mother Nature, Jesus and the Easter Bunny have all conspired against half the country to ruin the long weekend. My tinfoil hat which is shaped like a pair of bunny ears is firmly on.
According to the Binches of Meteorology, a strong cold front is moving across southern Australia, which is set to bring severe thunderstorms to most capital cities.
“This includes Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, Wollongong, Newcastle and Brisbane,” BoM senior forecaster Miriam Bradbury told the Guardian.
“For Tasmania, the risk of severe storms is most likely in the northeast but we could still see isolated, non-severe thunderstorm activity across a much broader area of the southeast.
“Destructive winds and giant hail are a small possibility about southeast Queensland including the Brisbane area through Friday afternoon and evening.”
Severe Weather Update: Severe thunderstorm outbreak for Eastern Australia on Good Friday.
Video current: 1:30pm AEST 6 April 2023.
Know your weather. Know your risk. For the latest forecasts and warnings go to our website https://t.co/4W35o8iFmh or the Bureau’s weather app. pic.twitter.com/A2BHosNSKq
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) April 6, 2023
The brainiacs at Weatherzone said the weather pattern on Good Friday will “feature an unusually cold pool of upper-level air and a high amount of vertical wind shear”, which is a “large change in wind speed and direction with height”.
Sounds technical, no? Well, the reason such factors are important to note is because they increase the chance of “large-to-giant hail” and “damaging-to-destructive winds”. Put your hands together and pray ‘cos it’s about to hail, Mary.
Some of the thunderstorms forecast for Good Friday — which is beginning to sound more like a Bad Friday, if I’m being honest — are due to hit Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra in the morning, but the worst of ’em are expected to occur during the afternoon and evening, per the ABC.
The severe weather conditions are expected to gradually fuck off, but there may still be patches of rain and small hail towards the end of the long weekend, Bradbury said.
And for the lucky ducks in Melbourne, the BoM has forecast a maximum temperature of just 14C on Easter Sunday. Praying the Easter Bunny doesn’t freeze its wee tail off while hopping around the city hiding eggs.
Stay safe, and if you’re planning on hopping to a family affair or nipping to the shops — some of which are open this long weekend, by the by — make sure you check the BoM website for the latest weather and thunderstorm warnings. We do not want to see you pull a Jesus and try walking on water.
