Storms to hammer Australia from top of NT to bottom of SA

Thursday, 13 November 2025 08:11

Massive systems will move from west to east, peaking on Saturday, the Bureau of Meteorology says.

Thunder and lightning could be seen from the top of the Northern Territory to the bottom of South Australia today as storm activity ramps up around the country.

The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast serious storm activity moving eastward from Western Australia through to the weekend, with Central Australia in the firing line today.

"Thunderstorms are possible all the way from the Top End into southern parts of South Australia," BoM meteorologist Jonathan How said in a Bureau forecast.

"There remains an area where severe thunderstorms are possible across central Australia.

"In Queensland, thunderstorms start to dip a little further down into the southern interior and become more likely."

Tomorrow, a number of weather systems are forecast to merge, making thunderstorms possible over a "very broad" swathe of the country, including the west, the interior, and the east.

This will include southern and south-eastern Queensland, north-east New South Wales, southern South Australia, and western Victoria.

"Saturday is the peak day for activity, with thunderstorms building through the day and peaking in the afternoon and evening," How said.

"By Saturday evening, thunderstorms are possible from central and eastern New South Wales up into Queensland and the north of the country. Severe thunderstorms may develop across populated areas during the afternoon and evening."

Severe storms swept western NSW on Tuesday bringing heavy rain , strong winds and hail as well as thousands of lightning strikes. Taken near Nyngan Photo Nick Moir 24 Nov 2023

However, he said, the weather maps were dynamic and likely to change, urging people to keep an eye on the BoM website for updates.

"Storms, particularly severe storms, can cause impacts," How said.

"Rain can wash away dirt and secondary roads, causing transport disruptions. Wind can cause damage to trees and property.

"Heavy rain and large hail can cause impacts to agricultural communities that are now starting to enter the harvesting season."

DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.