Australia weather: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth: Ski fields get huge snowfall
Snow bomb hits Australia: mammoth dumps powder on the ski fields after grim start to the season – and when it gets REALLY cold in the cities
- Icy blast hits southeastern Australia, bringing snow heaps with it
- Richmond, west of Sydney, was -6.4 degrees on Monday
- Temperatures are expected to drop even further on Wednesday
Winter has arrived in Australia with a vengeance as freezing temperatures bring massive snowfalls to the ski resorts and freezing temperatures to the east coast.
Videos posted online show skiers in blizzard-like conditions at the Perisher Valley resort, just north of Mount Kosciuszko, on Tuesday as temperatures in Canberra are expected to dip to -5 degrees.
Perisher officials said there was 3 inches of snow on the fields overnight and another clip posted Monday afternoon showed heavy snowfall piling up on rocky outcrops as skiers hit the slopes.
Temperatures as low as -5.7 degrees were recorded at the top of Perisher’s express ride.
Videos posted online showed skiers in blizzard-like conditions at NSW’s Perisher Valley resort, just north of Mount Kosciuszko, on Tuesday
Skiers of all ages have been delighted by Perisher’s snow dumps, as well as the freezing cold
But the cold weather affected all of Australia, with June temperatures experiencing the lowest in years in parts of Western Australia, Queensland, NSW and even the Northern Territory
But the cold weather hit all of Australia, with June temperatures experiencing the lowest in years in parts of Western Australia, Queensland, NSW and even the Northern Territory.
More than 30 weather stations in NSW recorded temperatures below freezing on Monday morning – many in the Central Tablelands west of Sydney.
Australia’s coldest place on Monday was Richmond, an hour northwest of Sydney, where temperatures dropped to -6.4 degrees.
But it will be even colder this week, with rain and gusts of wind as well.
Temperatures will drop below freezing in parts of Tasmania, Victoria, NSW and even Queensland on Wednesday morning.
Sky News Australia meteorologist Bradlyn Oakes said the icy conditions and low temperatures are all caused by the cold front in the south east.
“More and more cold is moving in as more high pressure builds behind that cold front in the coming days,” said Ms Oakes.
The lowest temperature in Queensland on Monday was Oakey, 28 km northwest of Toowomba, falling to -2.1 degrees.
Oakey also recorded the lowest temperature in the state since 2019, when it dropped to -4 on Friday.
Canberra will see a week of sub-zero minimums falling to -5 on Wednesday.
Sky News Australia meteorologist Bradlyn Oakes said the icy conditions and low temperatures are all being caused by the cold front in the south east
It will be even colder this week, with rain and wind gusts also forecast for the southeast
Melbourne is predicted to have showers throughout the week, with temperatures hovering between 12 and 15 degrees.
Hobart will be overcast with possible showers and will rarely go above 12.
Adelaide can get showers and will be slightly warmer than its southern neighbors, between 14 and 16 degrees.
Sydney is spared the great frost, which fluctuates between 16 and 18 degrees, although the mercury drops to 5 degrees on Tuesday night.
Brisbane will fare best, with sunny skies and temperatures around 20 degrees.