Flooding and crop devastation predicted as 'severe weather' set to pummel eastern Australia

Storms over coming week forecast to peak on Saturday with very heavy rainfall, damaging winds and large hail'

Dangerous thunderstorms are set to cause large hail and flash flooding, destroy crops and drive deadly spiders into homes across large swathes of eastern Australia over the next week.

Triggered by a low pressure system forming over the southern centre of the country and a trough across eastern Australia, the hazardous weather will escalate when the two systems combine on Friday, with the added tropical moisture present as a result of La Nina contributing to the severity of the storms.