Tasmanians in the state’s north-west have been told to prepare for damaging winds on Friday morning, with gusts of up to 100km/h expected to lash the Western Tiers.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for parts of the north-west coast, central north, Central Plateau and Midlands.
Sheffield and Deloraine are among the towns most likely to be affected by the wild weather.
The bureau says a burst of strong southwesterly winds behind a cold front will sweep across the state on Friday morning.
“These winds will interact with topography and accelerate down the lee side of the ranges before easing by Friday afternoon,” the bureau said.
Strong winds averaging 50 to 60km/h are forecast, with peak gusts reaching around 100km/h in the warning area during Friday morning.
The winds are expected to ease below warning thresholds by Friday afternoon.
The SES has advised residents to secure outdoor items including furniture and play equipment and to supervise children closely.
Tasmanians should also check that family and neighbours are aware of the warnings and manage pets and livestock.
The SES warned people to be prepared for possible power outages and to report any outages to TasNetworks on 132 004.
“Beware of damaged trees and power lines and take care when driving,” the SES said.
The bureau’s broader forecast shows showers clearing during Friday, with mainly fine conditions expected on Saturday before another cold front approaches on Sunday.
