A “bomb cyclone” has lashed Australia’s most populous state wi
th heavy rain and strong winds, forcing airlines to cancel domestic flights and prompting evacuation warnings in coastal communities.
Authorities on Tuesday warned that parts of New South Wales coul
d also expect the wild weather to worsen in the next 24
hours, with up to 250 mm (9.8 inches) of rain and winds up to 125 kph (78 mph) predicted.
Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib said the size of the system was “enormous.”
“It may seem pretty bad but the terrible thing is the situation is goi
ng to worsen over the course of the next 24 hours,” he told a news conference on Tuesday afternoon.
Residents living along areas vulnerable to coastal erosion have b
een told to leave their homes with minor flood warning
s also in place for several communities along the state’s Mid North Coast.
Qantas Airways canceled at least 11 domestic flights operatin
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g from Sydney and Virgin Australia canceled 12, the Sy
dney Airport website showed. No international flights have been affected.
“Some services on Virgin Australia’s network have been impacted b
y adverse weather in Sydney and Newcastle today,” a Virgin Australia spokesperson said by email.
Australia’s weather bureau said a “bomb cyclone,” or “bombogenesi
s,” was a low-pressure system that formed quickly and caused pressure to drop significantly within a short period of time.
The weather system is expected to shift offshore into the Tasman S
ea on Wednesday and ease by Thursday, the bureau said.
“Damaging winds and large seas will continue across much of the coast through Wednesday, with warnings expected to continue,” Senior Meteorologist Helen Reid said.