Large hailstones and dangerous winds will batter several eastern states, as storms move over the region.

Showers, thunderstorms and strong winds are forecast from south Queensland all the way down to Tasmania from this afternoon and are being driven by a cold front moving across the Great Australian Bight.

The weather may also affect parts of central Australia and the northern parts of South Australia. 

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued severe weather warnings for damaging gusts in southern NSW, parts of Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria and southern Tasmania.

Gusts will average between 55km/h and reach a peak of 100km/h.

“They’re really, really strong winds that can bring down trees and cause damage,” Senior Meteorologist Miriam Bradbury said.

Gusts of up to 80km/h were already recorded at Melbourne Airport today, and up to 100km/h in Hobart overnight. 

As showers and winds make their way through the east, there is also a risk of hailstones.

Bradbury said large hail about 2cm to 4cm in size could hit parts of northern NSW and south-east and inland Queensland this afternoon.

“As soon as we see some storms developing that could produce that large hail, we will issue warnings for them,” she said.

Residents in the affected areas are urged to avoid travel and dangerous hazards, secure loose items around their property and move vehicles away from trees.

They are also advised to stay indoors and away from windows.

The cold front will begin to move offshore towards the Tasman Sea tomorrow, but a storm risk and potential flash flooding persists for north-east NSW and south-east Queensland. 

“Brisbane may see some storms tomorrow, but the risk of severe storms is more likely across southern inland Queensland, pushing down towards the mid north coast,” Bradbury said.

“Damaging wind gusts and large hail will be possible with severe storms tomorrow, but we could also see some locally heavy rain that could lead to flash flooding.”

The combined weather impacts could bring down trees, impacting transport and power.

“We could see damage to trees and property as the strong winds or hail move through,” Bradbury said.

“We could also see some disruptions to transport and utilities through our cities, as the strong winds potentially cause some damage.”