Freezing air from Antarctica is set to leave Australians feeling the chill this weekend, as an Arctic wind brings icy winds and freezing temperatures.
The five-day cold snap will start on the east coast in New South Wales and Victoria and eventually move into Queensland on Saturday.
The Meteorological Office has warned that temperatures will be two to eight degrees below average for this time of year.
Meteorologists say the arrival of a strong high pressure system in the Tasman Sea will keep the icy air in the southeast well into next week.
“The freezing air will be carried away from Antarctica by a cold front this weekend,” Weatherzone reported.
‘A high pressure system will quickly follow the path of the front and remain over South Australia until at least the middle of next week, prolonging this cold snap.’
Good news for Sydney residents: Tuesday marked the end of an 11-day rainy spell, with a total of 58.6mm of rain falling in July so far.
The longest rainy period observed in the city was in May 2024, when it rained for 14 consecutive days, with 20 mm or more falling on six days.
Freezing air from Antarctica is set to leave Australians shivering all weekend, while an Arctic wind is bringing icy winds and freezing temperatures (pictured people braving the cold in Sydney)
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Sydney enjoyed clear blue skies and relatively mild temperatures of 19 and 18 degrees respectively.
However, the arrival of Antarctic air will cause temperatures to drop significantly on Friday.
Snow is expected in areas including the Southern, Central and Northern Tablelands of New South Wales, the Blue Mountains, higher parts of the Australian Capital Territory, Tasmania and the Victorian Alps, and even the Granite Belt of southern Queensland.
Sydney
According to Weatherzone, a shower or two is expected on Friday, but the rainfall will not be as heavy or frequent as July so far.
Sydney has had four rainy spells of five days or longer so far this year.
From May 1 to 14 it rained for 14 days, from June 30 to July 9 it rained for 11 days, from January 14 to 18 it rained for five days, and from March 15 to 19 it rained for five days.
Five of the six months in 2024 exceeded the monthly average, with June being the wettest month so far this year with 368.4mm of rain.
This was almost three times the long-term average of 131.7 mm.
Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Dean Narramore said Sydney could see a “prolonged break” from the wet weather.
“The sun is finally shining again, not just in Sydney but all over the east coast,” he said.
‘(The showers have) all cleared now, the depression that caused this weather has now moved into Tasmania.’
Meanwhile, snow showers are expected in the NSW Central Tablelands from Sunday or Monday at elevations around 12,000 metres.
Millions of Australians in the South East will be shivering from the cold snap this weekend
Melbourne
Victoria is set for a wet weekend with showers expected for the rest of the week.
On Friday, temperatures will hardly rise above 15 degrees, with lows of only 5 degrees.
Meanwhile, snow is expected in higher areas outside the Victorian Alps as a prolonged outbreak of freezing air arrives from Antarctica.
Brisbane
Showers and storms are possible in the southeast of the state on Thursday, followed by a cool and dry weekend.
Temperatures will remain below 24 degrees Celsius in the coming days, with lows around 10 degrees Celsius. Next week, temperatures will drop to just 8 degrees Celsius, with highs around 20 degrees Celsius.
The cold snap follows a thick layer of fog that developed over south-east Queensland on Tuesday evening, reducing visibility at Brisbane Airport to less than 200 metres by Wednesday morning.
Canberra
Temperatures in the country’s capital will drop significantly in the coming days. It will remain cloudy and cold, as the icy air above the North Pole is trapped in a low-pressure area.
The higher parts of the Australian Capital Territory, including the relatively low hills on the outskirts of Canberra and possibly even parts of the city itself, may see some snow over the coming days.
A prolonged outbreak of freezing air originating in Antarctica will cause temperatures to plummet (shown in the image is a map from Weatherzone)
Perth
Cold fronts are moving across Western Australia, bringing heavy rain and showers, with the chance of thunderstorms.
In Perth it will be difficult to get the temperature above 20 degrees Celsius. Saturday we will get some winter sun after a series of cloudy days.
Adelaide
From Saturday, Adelaide will experience very cold weather conditions as a long-lasting cold air current from Antarctica spreads across the southeast.
A high pressure area is expected to remain over the southern parts of the country for the next five days, prolonging the cold weather.
Rain is also expected in Adelaide over the coming days, with highs of 16 degrees Celsius and lows of just 8 degrees Celsius.
Hobart
Tasmanians will face another cold weekend as a low pressure system moves in from the east coast further across the country.
Like Victoria and South Australia, Tasmania is set to experience cold, gusty winds and rain.
Temperatures in Hobart are expected to drop to 3 degrees Celsius on Sunday.
Darwin
Further north, in the Northern Territory, conditions are favourable and sunny.
The rest of the week temperatures will remain between 19°C and 33°C.