Australians flock to crowded beaches for a warm Christmas day in the sun, but some celebrations could be drowned out by storms – what’s the weather like in your area?
- Southern states enjoy a mostly warm and sunny Christmas Day
- People have flocked to the beaches or cranked up backyard grills
- South Australia braces for flood spikes along the Murray
Australia’s southern states are enjoying a mostly warm and sunny Christmas Day, but heavy rain and storms threaten to dampen celebrations in the north.
People have flocked to beaches or cranked up backyard grills to enjoy the balmy weather, but elsewhere others are facing anxious times due to past rains.
South Australians living along the Murray River are bracing for peak flooding and residents are being advised to consider evacuating as water rises to levels not seen in a century.
The peak will be lower than originally predicted, but thousands of properties along the Murray River are still facing flooding in the coming weeks.
Two beachgoers in festive red and green bikinis carry a miniature Christmas tree
Three women enjoy the Christmas sunshine and are photographed taking their own selfie
People are pictured celebrating Christmas on St Kilda Beach in Melbourne on Sunday December 25, 2022
A dog with a toy Santa Claus on its back sits and watches as its owner pours champagne next to the beach on December 25, 2022 in Lennox Head, NSW
Most capital cities enjoy warm temperatures and clear skies on Christmas Day, with early cloud cover in Sydney and Hobart.
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, one or two showers are possible in Brisbane, with storms and a maximum of 33 degrees Celsius expected in the Top End.
The bureau issued a severe weather warning early Sunday for heavy rain and strong winds related to ex-tropical Cyclone Ellie moving south across the central Northern Territory.
It warned people in parts of Barkly, Simpson and Tanami districts to prepare for thunderstorms and “dangerous and life-threatening flash floods” through Sunday and Monday.
‘Say Cheese’. Sun worshipers enjoy Christmas Day in true Aussie style
Revelers can be seen on Bondi Beach in Sydney screaming how much they love Christmas Day
While it’s all fun and games for most people on the beach, the surf rescue volunteers (pictured) are at work.
Red bikinis, like the ones pictured above, have proved very popular on Christmas Day
If you get to the beach early enough on Christmas Day, you can pitch a tent like the people pictured
Santa hats, like the one pictured, are also popular on beaches during Christmas
Dangerous gusts of wind exceeding 90 km/h are possible over Barkly District and flood monitors are in place for Tennant Creek, Elliott, Ali Curung, Ampilatwatja, Barrow Creek and Renner Springs.
The NT Emergency Service is urging local residents to secure loose items near their homes, avoid driving in flood waters, have emergency equipment on hand and be prepared for power outages.
While Christmas Day is unlikely to break temperature records, it will mark the start of a low-intensity heatwave expected to last through Wednesday across the continent’s south, including Tasmania.
Christmas day predictions for your capital city
Melbourne: max. 30 °C, sunny
Sydney: 28°C, partly cloudy morning, brightening to a mostly sunny afternoon
Darwin: 33°C max, high chance of showers and risk of thunderstorms
Canberra: max 31°C, sunny
Tattooed ladies (pictured) celebrate Christmas Day on Bondi Beach in Sydney
Hobart: 25°C max, partly cloudy
Adelaide: max 32°C, sunny
Perth: max. 30 °C, sunny
Brisbane: 29°C max, partly cloudy and a medium chance of showers and a possible thunderstorm
Hot Sydney weather has seen people flock to Bondi Beach (pictured) on the east side of the city