Significant cold front and heavy rain forecast for Victoria and Tasmania

03/05/2022

Issued at 4:30pm AEST on Tuesday 3 May 2022

The first cold snap of the season arrives in south-east Australia tonight with rain, thunder and possible hail and snow forecast for Victoria and Tasmania.

Victoria

A significant cold front is forecast to move through the southwest of Victoria this evening.

Cold conditions and showers are expected to become widespread across the state on Wednesday, continuing through Thursday and Friday, with rainfall mostly on and south of the ranges.

Local small hail and thunder are possible on and south of the ranges on Thursday.

Temperatures will drop down to 2-6 degrees below average on Wednesday behind the front.

Victoria could see rainfall totals of 10-30mm on and south of the ranges (lower amounts over Central), increasing to 20-40mm SW coast and possibly Bass Coast (down to Wilson's Promontory), depending on movement of low later in the week which is still uncertain.

An audio update for Victorian weather from Senior Meteorologist Miriam Bradbury is available for download here.

Tasmania

Wet conditions are expected to develop across much of Tasmania later this week as a deep low pressure system off the east coast of Tasmania develops on Thursday then moves away on Saturday.

The highest rainfall is expected to occur across the east and south of the state from Thursday night until late Saturday.

Very heavy rainfall could lead to the risk of flash or riverine flooding across parts of the east and south depending on where the low moves, but this is highly uncertain at this stage

The low may also bring strong south to south-easterly winds and high waves to parts of the south and east coasts.

Due to the high uncertainty of the situation, it is very important that people closely monitor the forecast and warnings

An audio update for Tasmanian weather from Meteorologist Alex Melitsis is available for download here.

ENDS