Flooding Rain and Gales Ahead for Southern Australia This Weekend | ABC Australia (AU) | 01KZESKBQ6JA9XNK6SNRGEZE12

A powerful winter cold front is set to sweep across southern Australia, bringing a significant band of rain and strong winds over the coming days. The soaking, which began on Western Australia's west coast overnight, will rapidly spread across South Australia on Saturday before intensifying in the south-east states on Sunday.

While the system promises timely rainfall for farmers, potentially the best in at least a month, heavy rain predicted for the Victorian ranges has prompted a flood watch for 10 catchments. Pockets of heavy rain and thunderstorms are also possible in parts of Western Australia, South Australia, and southern inland New South Wales.

A second front will quickly follow over Western Australia on Monday, reaching the south-east states by Tuesday and Wednesday. This will boost five-day rainfall totals to at least 25 millimeters across a vast swathe of southern Australia. Some coastal and range areas, including around Adelaide, could see totals exceed 50mm, with the high country of north-east Victoria potentially receiving 100mm.

A deep low-pressure system associated with the initial front will also raise the risk of damaging wind gusts in multiple states. The threat will begin over southern Western Australia, with the highest wind speeds expected to impact the state's south coast, while Perth's coastal suburbs could experience gusts up to 80 kilometers per hour. This burst of wild winds will spread to South Australia on Sunday, with Adelaide likely to see gusts near 70 km/h.

The strongest winds are forecast to shift to eastern states on Monday, with potential for gusts exceeding 90 km/h in parts of Sydney, Canberra, and Melbourne. Exposed areas along the southern coast and ranges could see peak speeds exceed 100 km/h, increasing the risk of downed trees and power outages. This weather event also threatens the current ski season, with temperatures expected to be above zero when precipitation arrives in alpine regions, likely resulting in heavy rain instead of snow.