A powerful "bomb cyclone" has struck Australia's most populous state, bringing torrential rain and fierce winds that led to domestic flight cancellations and evacuation alerts in coastal areas. On Tuesday (July 1), authorities cautioned that the severe weather in parts of New South Wales could intensify within the next 24 hours, forecasting up to 250mm of rainfall and wind speeds reaching 125 km/h.

Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib described the weather system as "enormous" and warned, "It already seems bad, but unfortunately, the conditions are expected to deteriorate further over the next day." Residents in areas prone to coastal erosion were urged to evacuate, and minor flood alerts were issued for several communities along the Mid North Coast of the state.

Flight disruptions followed, with Qantas Airways canceling at least 11 domestic routes from Sydney and Virgin Australia grounding 12, according to Sydney Airport's website. International flights were unaffected. A Virgin Australia representative confirmed that several of the airline's services in Sydney and Newcastle were impacted by the extreme weather. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology explained that the "bomb cyclone," also known as "bombogenesis," is a rapidly developing low-pressure system that causes a steep drop in atmospheric pressure within a short timeframe.

The storm is expected to move into the Tasman Sea by Wednesday, gradually weakening by Thursday. “Strong winds and high seas will persist along much of the coastline through Wednesday, with continued warnings in place,” said Senior Meteorologist Helen Reid. “Conditions should ease by Friday, leaving only scattered light showers along the east coast.”