An outbreak of severe thunderstorms and damaging winds will affect Australia during the next three days, impacting at least five states and territories.

A series of upper-level troughs interacting with an unstable atmosphere, copious moisture and numerous surface-based low pressure systems and troughs will provide an ideal environment for prolific storm activity across the southern half of Australia during the next 72 hours.

On Wednesday, showers and thunderstorms will develop over a broad area of southeastern and southwestern Australia.

The maps below show the forecast accumulated rainfall over southeastern and southwestern Australia on Wednesday, giving an indication of where the rain and storms will occur.

Image: Forecast accumulated rain during the 24 hours ending at 11pm AEDT on Wednesday.

Image: Forecast accumulated rain during the 24 hours ending at 8pm AWST on Wednesday.

The storms in the southeast on Wednesday will affect parts of NSW, Vic, SA and southern Qld. Some of these storms may become severe, most likely over inland areas of northeast NSW and southeast Qld during the afternoon and early evening.

The storms in WA on Wednesday will target the west and south of the state. Severe storms are possible, with ample wind shear (a change in wind speed and direction with height) increasing the risk of damaging winds with any storms that develop. The system responsible for storms over WA on Wednesday will shift further east on Thursday, causing showers and dangerous thunderstorms to spread across SA and parts of Vic, NSW and the NT. This is likely to involve severe storms in multiple states, with damaging to destructive winds, large hail and bursts of heavy rain all a risk.

A surge of powerful winds will also sweep across SA on Thursday, with damaging winds likely to develop over the state’s north and west, where a severe weather warning has been issued.

Rain and thunderstorms will continue to spread across southeastern and eastern Australia on Friday as the low pressure system and trough move further east. Parts of NSW, Vic, the ACT, Tas and Qld will be affected by wet and stormy weather on Friday, with severe storms likely in most of these states. The setup on Friday will be conducive to multi-cell thunderstorms and squall lines, and possibly supercells. These types of storms increase the risk of destructive winds and very large hail.

Image: Thunderstorm risk map for Friday afternoon.

Severe thunderstorm and severe weather warnings will be issued in multiple states over the next three days, so be sure to check the latest warnings for the most up-to-date information.

Title image credit: iStock / Philip Thurston