Bracing for wild weather

WILD weather that has caused havoc interstate will hit Tasmania today, with cold, wet and very windy conditions forecast over the weekend. The winter blast has caused flight chaos in eastern states and widespread damage.

WILD weather on the mainland yesterday played havoc with flight schedules in and out of Hobart airport, and Tasmania is forecast to get a dose of the wild, wet and windy conditions today and tomorrow.

By 4pm there were four departure flights delayed and two cancelled.

Another three flights into Hobart from Melbourne and Sydney were late and one flight cancelled.

The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast cold, wet and very windy conditions for Tasmania over the weekend.

Some heavy rainfall totals are possible in elevated areas in the state’s South and there could be flooding in some catchments.

“The southeast of Tasmania has been very dry so far this year,’’ a spokesman for BOM said.

“The last time Hobart received more than 20mm was February 7.

Rainfall totals of 20-40mm are forecast about the South, depending on the movement of the deep low moving over the state. A gale warning is in place for today for the far North-West, the South and Flinders Island.

Snow is forecast to fall down to 500m about the West and South this afternoon.

Hobart could get hail as well as heavy rain tomorrow along with more gusty southwest winds.

Winds of up to 40-60km/h are expected in Hobart today, with a top temperature of just 10C. Conditions will be similar but marginally calmer tomorrow, with 25-35km/h winds forecast.