Over the next 48 hours, the threat of storms looms larger for Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, and Hobart, as a substantial wet weather system lingers over Australia’s southeastern region.

A potentially destructive storm system, which earlier in the week provided much-needed rain to outback regions of Australia, is now making its way towards the major cities in the southeastern part of the country. This update comes from Sky News Australia Meteorologist Alison Osborne. The past week has been marked by stormy weather in outback Queensland, large portions of New South Wales, and Victoria, bringing a welcome relief of rainfall.

If you reside in the southeastern region, it’s advisable to stay vigilant by monitoring your local storm warnings as the threat of severe weather moves closer to more densely populated areas between Wednesday and Friday.

On Tuesday, Melbourne experienced hot and stormy weather with temperatures reaching 30°C, marking the hottest Melbourne Cup day since 2005, although the storms arrived too late to affect the big race. Ominous black clouds and lightning appeared over Port Phillip Bay, putting the Mornington Peninsula on alert during the evening.

Throughout the week, outback storms have made their way over western New South Wales and Queensland, bringing much-needed rain to these dry landscapes.

The cause of these storms can be attributed to the warm, humid air originating from the Coral Sea and an inland trough, which has contributed to the daily storm development across the eastern states. These storms are not expected to subside for the remainder of the week.

On Wednesday morning, lightning was observed in the Maranoa region of Queensland and central-west New South Wales as the cloud formations continued to build. The increasing temperature and muggy air serve as indicators of more storms expected in the afternoon, with Melbourne, Canberra, and Hobart all potentially facing severe afternoon storms.