Sunday’s storm risk is shifting towards northern New South Wales and south-east Queensland. The Bureau of Meteorology’s weekend outlook identifies the potential for severe thunderstorms on 1 November, with damaging winds, large hail and heavy rain among the possible hazards.
This is a dated forecast, not a live warning service. Before travelling or holding an outdoor event, check the current BOM warning map and your local forecast. A warning can be issued, changed or cancelled after this article is published.
Prepared on Saturday night, 31 October 2026, for Sunday, 1 November. Hero image: AI-generated image created for NextNews; an illustrative developing storm, not an image of current conditions.
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Where is Sunday’s main storm risk?
In its severe-weather update issued at 11am AEDT on 31 October, BOM places Sunday’s broader severe-storm risk between the Newcastle area and around Gympie. It highlights parts of the Hunter, Mid North Coast, Northern Rivers and tablelands as areas of greater concern within that outlook.
That is a broad forecast corridor, not a statement that every town in it will experience a severe storm. Local timing and severity must come from the latest location forecast and warning polygon. A dry morning at one address is not enough to dismiss a later forecast risk.
What the Saturday-night Queensland forecasts say
BOM’s Toowoomba forecast, issued at 8:52pm AEST on Saturday, forecasts thunderstorms likely on Sunday and says they may be severe, with damaging winds, large hail and local heavy rainfall capable of causing flash flooding. Showers are most likely during the morning and afternoon.
For Buderim on the Sunshine Coast, the forecast issued at 8:21pm AEST gives a chance of a thunderstorm from late morning on Sunday, also potentially severe. Those are location forecasts: they should not be read as identical timing for every part of south-east Queensland.
Queensland uses AEST. Those two Saturday issue times correspond to 9:52pm and 9:21pm AEDT in New South Wales and Victoria. When comparing an alert with a social-media post, check both the date and the time zone.
Forecasts and warnings answer different questions
The Sunday forecast describes what may develop. A severe-thunderstorm warning identifies an area under a more immediate threat and includes its own issue time and instructions. A warning issued on Saturday evening is not automatically a warning for the whole of Sunday.
At 11:20pm AEDT on Saturday, 31 October, BOM’s NSW warning summary listed a severe-thunderstorm warning for parts of the Hunter, Central Tablelands, North West Slopes and Plains, and Central West Slopes and Plains. Its Queensland summary listed one for parts of Maranoa and Warrego. These Saturday-night listings are separate from Sunday’s forecast corridor. Check the live warning page for current boundaries, issue times and instructions.
Victoria’s earlier severe-weather warning for parts of the state was listed as cancelled in the Victorian warning summary at the Saturday-night check. That cancellation relates to that particular warning; it does not clear other states, marine warnings or every local weather hazard.
What to do before heading out on Sunday
- Check your actual locations. Read the forecast for home, your destination and any longer driving route. A forecast for one city does not describe an entire state.
- Make an indoor plan. For a picnic, sports fixture or outdoor gathering, decide in advance where people can move if conditions deteriorate.
- Recheck before departure. Read the issue time and the full warning, not just a screenshot or a headline.
- Separate weather alerts from event decisions. Confirm cancellations and venue changes with the organiser.
The Queensland Government’s storm safety advice recommends securing loose outdoor items before a storm arrives, keeping children and pets indoors, and sheltering in a strong building away from windows. Where it is safe to do so beforehand, park vehicles under cover and away from trees. Never drive through floodwater.
For storm or flood assistance in Queensland, Queensland SES lists 132 500. Call 000 for a life-threatening emergency. Follow emergency-service directions and current local road information.
What to check again on Sunday morning
Look for a newer forecast, a newly issued warning or a cancellation. If a warning covers your location, follow its instructions even if the sky overhead has not yet changed. If no warning is active, the forecast can still flag storms that have not developed.
The practical question is whether the latest information changes your route, timing or access to shelter. Keep the live official page available rather than treating a Saturday-night article as an all-day safety clearance.
Sources and disclosure
Sources: BOM weekend severe-weather update; the Toowoomba and Buderim forecasts and state warning summaries linked above; Get Ready Queensland; and Queensland SES. Weather information can change rapidly.
Disclosure: Prepared with AI assistance and checked against the cited official sources. This is general weather information, not an emergency alert. The AI-generated hero image depicts no actual storm or damage.
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