Severe weather warning issued in Australia

Sydney, Sep 1 (IANS/GURPUNEET SIDHU) Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) issued a severe weather warning for people in parts of the state of Victoria on Sunday morning. The bureau said a vigorous west-to-northwesterly airstream will continue to bring the threat of damaging winds to parts of the state, although conditions have eased a little slightly overnight into Sunday morning, Xinhua news agency reported. However, winds are expected to strengthen again Sunday afternoon, ahead of another strong cold front moving eastwards through the area. Conditions are expected to finally ease throughout the state on Monday morning. According to the BOM, destructive west to northwesterly winds with peak gusts of up to 130 km/h are possible from Sunday evening at coastal locations from the South Australian border to Bellarine Peninsula, southeastern Melbourne suburbs, and Mornington Peninsula to Wilsons Promontory, primarily in showers. For central Victoria including Melbourne metropolitan, damaging west to northwesterly winds averaging 50 to 65 km/h with peak gusts of around 100 km/h are possible from late Sunday afternoon. On Sunday morning, BOM also issued a coastal hazard warning for the Victorian coastline. On the other hand, BOM issued a severe weather warning for people in parts of Australia‘s island state of Tasmania on Sunday morning, saying a vigorous west-to-northwesterly airstream persists over the state. BOM said bands of showers and thunderstorms continue to pose a risk of damaging wind gusts, yet another strong cold front will cross the state on Sunday night into early Monday morning, likely impacting the western and northern coasts. —