The wet weather continues across eastern Australia with a risk of severe thunderstorms and flooding rain. My name is Sarah and I'll be taking you through the latest information with this evolving weather event.

Now, over the last 24 hours until 9:00 am this morning, there was significant rainfall across south-eastern and eastern Australia with 40 mm up to around 80 mm recorded across all five states.

Now, this is being driven by tropical moisture that's been drawn down over eastern Australia and it's now interacting with a number of low pressure troughs.

We do have a Severe Weather Warning that is current across north-eastern parts of Tasmania at the moment for heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding, where six-hourly rainfall totals are possible between 30 mm to 50 mm.

Now, we are expecting that heavy rainfall to start to ease later this evening. However, an initial minor flood warning has been issued for the South Esk River.

Today, thunderstorms are possible across a really broad area of eastern Australia, but just focusing in on the yellow area where severe thunderstorms are possible across central parts of Queensland and the southern interior.

Heavy rainfall, damaging winds, or large hail are all possible.

Now, across this northern section of New South Wales, however, heavy rainfall is our main concern that may lead to flash flooding.

Now, there's already a number of storms that are going at the moment, and we're keeping a really close eye on those. And if they start to show any signs of being severe, then severe thunderstorm warnings will be issued.

And we're also expecting it to be a really active night tonight, continuing into the early hours of tomorrow morning where the area of severe storms will move into south-eastern parts of Queensland.

So for Brisbane and the Gold Coast, there is a risk of a severe thunderstorm bringing heavy rainfall, damaging winds or large hail from tomorrow morning continuing into the afternoon and evening.

But the most likely area for severe thunderstorms is across the Mid North Coast and the Hunter with heavy rainfall being our main concern.

Now we also have a severe weather warning that's been issued today for heavy rainfall to develop about the Barrington Tops of New South Wales from tomorrow, that's Thursday, continuing into the early hours of Friday morning.

Now within this warning area, 6-hourly rainfall totals between 40 mm to 70 mm are possible with isolated totals in excess of that, even up to 95 mm.

So we have issued a Flood Watch for the potential for minor flooding across the Hunter district and for parts of the Mid North Coast as well with this heavy rainfall, with the most likely period or risk period for this minor flooding to occur being Thursday night and continuing into Friday morning.

So, taking a look at this weather event moving through, we've got this low pressure system near Tasmania with onshore winds being brought onto that north-eastern area driving that heavy rainfall, and a low pressure system is expected to develop over southern parts of Queensland this afternoon.

Now, moving into tomorrow, that low pressure system will move towards the south-east, dragging the weather into south-east Queensland. But as well, clockwise winds around the low will bring an onshore flow with the heavy rainfall most likely about those windward slopes and coasts.

On Friday, that low pressure system will continue moving away from the mainland, dragging with it the worst of the weather. However, severe thunderstorms will still be possible about the north coast and adjacent land areas of New South Wales.

So, how much rainfall are we talking about? Between now all the way through until Friday, there's the potential across south-eastern parts of Queensland for 25 mm up to 100 mm in those hit and miss thunderstorms.

But for north-east New South Wales, it's a much more widespread rain event through there with that rainband really intensifying, bringing the potential for 100 mm to in excess of 150 mm.

And also just eastern parts of Tasmania, the potential of 50 mm to 100 mm.

Community impacts include the potential for flash and riverine flooding with all this rain as well as dangerous driving conditions in both the wet weather, but also the damaging winds or the large hail.

But it has to be said that this is also very welcomed rainfall for a lot of communities within the agricultural area that have seen a very dry start to autumn.

So, if you live across eastern parts of the country, now is a really good time to stay up to date with our latest forecasts and warnings via the Bureau website, app, and social media.

Otherwise, we'll see you again next time. Bye for now.