Heat and hail have been forecast across parts of the country as hundreds queue outside the Sydney Opera House to secure front-row seats for the New Year’s Eve fireworks.
Lines in Circular Quay began to form at 8am on Sunday as people sought to stake their claim to a view. By 11.24am, organisers announced the Sydney Opera House vantage point is full and advised members of the public to seek alternative options.
More than a million people are expected to gather across the harbour shoreline before fireworks this evening.
Sydney, which will be one of the world’s first major cities to celebrate, will ring in the New Year with 20 minutes of fireworks, a smoking ceremony, AI-driven projections on to the Harbour Bridge and illuminated boats on the water.
The lord mayor, Clover Moore, said the “eyes of the world will be watching Sydney” as people look forward to 2024 after a tough 12 months.
Moore hoped the new year “will be a much better year than 2023”, and that “in 2024 the people who are most hurting in our community from the cost-of-living crisis will get adequate support, especially people who are homeless and who are hungry”.
The City of Sydney’s fireworks director, Fortunato Foti, said onlookers could expect something a little different this year, with displays featuring bright white, peach, lime, silver, gold, violet, yellow, burnt orange, pink and blue fireworks.
With capacity limits in place and many ticketed-options for viewing the fireworks already sold out, people are being advised to turn up early as access will be provided on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Extra trains and buses have been put on for tonight, with drivers urged to stay out of Sydney due to widespread road closures.
Heatwave and thunderstorm conditions
The celebrations are among many being organised this year across Australian capitals and regional towns, despite heatwave conditions settling over parts of Queensland and northern New South Wales, and the potential for storms with heavy rain to disrupt plans. A wild weather system is forecast to stretch more than 1,000km from Port Macquarie in NSW to Rockhampton in Queensland.
The Bureau of Meteorology issued a heatwave warning for the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia, with temperatures forecast to be 8C to 12C above average, while the south is expecting milder conditions.
An extreme heatwave warning was in place for the NT’s Tiwi district and for the Kimberley, Pilbara and North Interior districts in WA.
Meanwhile, a severe thunderstorm warning for damaging winds was in place over the Gregory district in the Northern Territory.
A group of thunderstorms was threatening Timber Creek and Yarralin with 90 km/h wind gusts recorded at Delamere Weapons Range.
Temperatures in the remote towns of Marble Bar and Roebourne, in the north-west of WA, were expected to reach 48C on Sunday, with top temperatures at Marble Bar well above 40C for the next six days.
A severe heatwave warning is in place for parts of Queensland, with severe thunderstorms predicted inland between Charters Towers and Roma, keeping emergency services on high alert.
But the thunderstorm threat has eased for Brisbane with severe storms no longer predicted for the city, which has not altered its official NYE program.
Mild weather is forecast for the south-east, including Sydney, on Sunday as Australia’s biggest city gears up for New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Strong wind warnings have been issued for the Byron Coast in NSW and several coastal areas in Western Australia including eastern and western Pilbara, Perth, Bunbury, Leeuwin, Esperance and Eucla.
On Saturday, wind gusts reached 93km/h at Gympie, while 64mm of rain fell at Cedar Pocket Dam in Queensland.
🎉 New Year's Eve Forecast: Find out what to expect in your capital city this #NewYearsDay.
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) December 31, 2023
More: https://t.co/4W35o8i7wJ or the BOM Weather app. pic.twitter.com/NfDBig26Qs
In Melbourne, crowds are expected to be similar in size to New Year’s Eve 2022, when 475,000 flooded the CBD. This year a midnight fireworks display will have more lasers and projections than previous years, lighting up the skyline from 27 rooftops.
Perth will be treated to two displays, one at 8pm from a barge on the Swan River and a second at 11.59pm, when fireworks on top of buildings dotted across the city will announce 2024.
Adelaide will celebrate with a fireworks display at Elder Park, with several other events being held around the city.
Brisbane’s official program has not yet been altered despite the trying weather conditions. South Bank Parklands will host two fireworks shows along the Brisbane River, one at 8.30pm and one at midnight.
More than 80,000 fireworks will illuminate the skyline in what is expected to be the biggest display in Brisbane’s history.
Gold Coast council initially considered cancelling some events, with a possible risk of fire amid the swelter, but continues to list them on its website, including 8pm fireworks at Coomera Sports poark and Broadwater Parklands, 8.30pm at Lake Orr Varsity Promenade and 9pm at Paradise Point Parklands.
Emergency crews will be on standby on New Year’s Eve with heavy rain, thunderstorms and giant hail forecast for parts of northern NSW and Queensland.
Weather bureau senior meteorologist Jonathan How urged residents to stay on top of flood warnings.
“At this stage, we’re not expecting widespread flooding but areas of heavy rain with thunderstorms could produce flash flooding as well as rapid rises in creeks, rivers and storm drains,” he said.
The Sunshine Coast was hammered by rain on Saturday, with Beerburrum recording 110mm in two hours and Landsborough 67mm in 30 minutes.
Four houses in the state’s southeast were “completely destroyed” and 750 homes had suffered minor to severe damage in storms since Christmas, Deputy Premier Cameron Dick told reporters in Jimboomba on Sunday.
He said there had been 3,000 calls to the State Emergency Service since the night of the 25th and about 18,000 people around the state were still waiting for power to be reconnected.
“We’ve got crews out cleaning the streets trying to get that debris cleared so we can get the power crews in,” Dick said.
Up to 70 defence force veterans and retired emergency service personnel are assisting the storm cleanup in south-east Queensland.
They have been deployed to the worst affected areas including northern Gold Coast, Tamborine Mountain and Jimboomba to remove fallen trees, clear debris, stabilise buildings and improve access to homes.
