East coast and inland areas to cop a drenching on New Year's Eve as rain rolls through

The east coast of Australia and some inland areas will be ringing in a very wet New Year with heavy rain, damaging winds and thunderstorms forecast.

Showers are predicted across much of the Sunshine State and New South Wales in the coming days, before reaching Victoria for New Year's Eve.

The trough will then move south to Tasmania and parts of South Australia.

The wet weather has already begun in some areas, with large parts of NSW copping a drenching this morning.

Storms have rolled through from the west of the state across to Sydney, bringing thunder and lightning and heavy rains.

Across the rest of the country today, a trough is bringing showers to parts of Tasmania.

Further troughs over Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia are triggering showers and storms, whilst directing a hot airmass over western parts of WA.

QUEENSLAND

A few showers, warm-to-very warm in the southeast. Showers/storms, very warm in the northeast. Showers/storms, warm in the northwest. Showers/storms easing, warm in the southwest.

NEW SOUTH WALES & THE ACT

Late thunder, warm in the northeast. Mostly cloudy, cool-to-mild with showers in the southeast. Sunny, mild-to-warm in the southwest. Late shower, very warm in the north-west.

VICTORIA

Mostly sunny, cool-to-mild in the south. Mostly sunny, warm in the north.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Mostly sunny, cool-to-mild in the southeast and central. Sunny, mild-to-warm in the west. Windy, mild-to-warm in north.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Mostly cloudy, hot in the southwest. Mostly sunny, warm in the south. Mostly sunny, hot in the northwest. Showers/storms, warm in the northeast.

NORTHERN TERRITORY

Showers/storms, warm in the north. Mostly sunny, very warm over the interior. Sunny, warm-to-very warm in the south.

TASMANIA

Showers, mild in the southwest. Mostly sunny, mild in the southeast. Mostly sunny, cool-to-mild in the north.