2LT Local News

SYDNEY, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) — The record-breaking wet weather that battered Australia’s eastern states for much of last month shows little sign of relenting with heavy rains predicted to continue on Wednesday.

The day’s biggest storm fronts are forecast to roll across Queensland’s southeast and the northern region of New South Wales (NSW). The biggest city, Sydney, is expected to receive rainfalls of up to 30mm during the afternoon.

The anticipated downpours follow Tuesday’s wild weather which tore through parts of the NSW capital city, causing a shopping center roof to collapse under the weight of heavy rain, while flash flooding triggered peak-hour traffic jams in the afternoon.

NSW’s Central Tablelands, the Blue Mountains and the regional cities of Wollongong and Gosford were also buffeted by strong winds and pelting rain.

Meteorologists attributed much of the persistent damaging conditions to the return of the weather phenomenon known as La Nina, which generates strong surface winds across the Pacific Ocean ultimately bringing soaking weather to Australia’s east.

La Nina’s influence is expected to continue throughout much of Australia’s summer, according to the Bureau of Meteorology’s (BoM) Andrew Watkins.

“December is likely to see our typical summer weather systems pushed further south than normal, meaning more humid air coming off the Tasman Sea, and into NSW and eastern Victoria,” Watkins said.