Time to brace for winter’s fury

FIERCE winds and heavy rain have cancelled weekend junior sports across the state and forced road closures as Tasmanians prepare to shiver through a cold, wet weekend.

Murchison Highway, between Waratah and Somerset, in the state’s North-West Coast remained closed overnight after a large tree fell at Parrawe.

A Tasmanian Police spokeswoman said it was too unsafe to remove the tree last night so it would likely be removed today.

In a Facebook post, Central Region Junior Football Association said it had cancelled its under-6 to under12 soccer games because its grounds were saturated.

The Bureau of Meteorology forecast wet weather across the state with the heaviest falls likely to happen in the North and West Coast, where some places may pick up 50-100mm.

The bureau is predicting small hail in the Hobart area today with temperatures expected to hit a high of 11C.

Damaging northwesterly winds, averaging 60-70km/h with peak gusts in excess of 100km/h, are possible in northern coastal regions and the Bass Strait islands. Areas that may be affected include Devonport, Currie, George Town, Whitemark and Bridport. There are also minor flood warnings for the Macquarie and North Esk rivers, with a flood watch for North-East catchments.

There are also flood watches for the Huon and Derwent river basins. Persistent showers are expected through Monday.