Forecasters have warned that a frigid polar explosion that hit Australia over the Easter weekend and led to temperatures well below average is here to stay.
The cold front hit the country on Good Friday, causing severe thunderstorms in parts of New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.
Temperatures in NSW, Tasmania, Victoria and South Australia were between five and 10 degrees below the annual average, leading to a gloomy holiday for many.
In Melbourne, temperatures peaked at 15.5°C on Easter Sunday, the lowest on that day since 2020.
Dean Narramore, senior forecaster for the Bureau of Meteorology, has now warned that the cold snap will continue across most of the country for the next week, with temperatures up to 10°C below average for this time of year.
He said Easter weekend brought heavy rainfall, strong winds and dangerous surfing conditions, and those conditions would continue until Wednesday when another weather system with more heavy rains rolls in.
He also warned of a tropical storm to hit WA this week.
Another weather system with more heavy rainfall will hit Australia this week
Dean Narramore, senior forecaster for the Bureau of Meteorology, has warned that the cold spell will continue in most of the country for the next week
The tropical cyclone is developing off the coast of Kimberley and is expected to turn south on Thursday and make landfall between Port Hedland and Broome.
“We are talking about wind speeds in excess of 200 km/h, possibly even 250 km/h, near the core, as well as very heavy rainfall likely to lead to widespread flash and river flooding,” Narramore said.
So, dangerous conditions [are] will probably develop there Thursday night into Friday morning.’
Residents in areas from Port Hedland to Broome have been told to prepare for cyclonic weather leading up to the intensifying storm.
It is expected to continue to grow in intensity, possibly becoming a Category Four cyclone by Thursday before shifting overland.
At a Category Four strength, the storm is likely to result in building damage and widespread power outages.
The rest of the country continues to experience a cold snap.
In Melbourne, some suburbs received 40 millimeters of rain on Monday, while snow also fell in some places.
‘[On] On Tuesday, those showers will finally clear in southern Victoria,” Narramore said.
“We will likely see temperatures still 2 to 5 degrees below average before the next weather system rolls in on Wednesday with another burst of widespread showers and even possible storms across much of the state, and cooler conditions continue.”
Temperatures in NSW, Tasmania, Victoria and South Australia this weekend were between 5 and 10 degrees below the annual average
The BoM says ‘serious impact is likely along the coast between Port Hedland and Broome, during Thursday or Friday’
In southeastern Queensland, temperatures dropped to 5°C on Monday and are expected to be even lower on Tuesday.
Mr Narramore added: ‘For South East Queensland, we are likely to see these cold mornings continue into Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, down to single digits for large parts of inland South East Queensland.’
In Tasmania, snow fell up to 700 meters over the weekend, while Hobart experienced its coldest Easter Sunday in 17 years.
Meanwhile, NSW saw severe storms on Friday, with the bad weather prompting dangerous surf warnings along the coast.
Sydney will be hit by showers during the week.
However, the strongest warning from the BOM was about the cyclone that would hit WA.
MR Narramore told ABC: ‘Those kinds of winds are likely to cause widespread property damage’
Falling trees, power lines, power outages and hundreds of millimeters of rain are likely to wash away the roads.
“Possible isolation and stranding of communities, residents and travelers – so yes, some really dire conditions up there when it crosses over later this week.”