Millions of Australians will have to endure another week in the Arctic, with temperatures set to drop below average, as a cold system settles over much of the country.
Temperatures in southeastern Australia are expected to drop 2 to 6 degrees below average, while parts of the Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia could see temperatures 6 to 10 degrees below average.
The cold weather is caused by a high pressure area that followed a cold front that passed over the region last weekend.
Weather zone While high pressure is common after a cold front, the system will stall over Tasmania on Monday before becoming what experts are calling a “blocking high” on Tuesday morning.
The large, slow-moving system will bring a prolonged period of freezing nights and cold days with widespread morning fog and frost patches across parts of Victoria and southern New South Wales.
The blocking high pressure is expected to become so strong that it will even break the Australian air pressure record.
In Queensland and northern New South Wales, the high pressure area is causing persistent south-easterly winds on the coast, increasing the chance of showers every day.
In the rest of northern Australia, the far south will bring more winds, leading to warmer days.
The winds also increase fire danger in the region as July marks the start of bushfire season in northern Australia.
Temperatures are expected to fall 2 to 6 degrees below average in southeastern Australia and 6 to 10 degrees below average in parts of the Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia
The weather system will bring a prolonged period of icy nights and cold days to Victoria and southern New South Wales (pictured, pedestrian in Sydney CBD)
In parts of South Australia and Western Australia, high pressure and cold fronts are likely to bring longer periods of rain than normal.
Brisbane
It’s a wet start to the week for Brisbane residents.
Up to 20mm of rain is forecast for Tuesday and 10mm on Wednesday, before tapering off towards the end of the week.
Showers are expected from Thursday. The chance increases during the weekend, with up to 4 mm chance of showers on Sunday.
Highs will remain in the high teens to low 20s all week, while lows will hover around the low to mid teens.
Sydney
Showers are expected this week, with the heaviest rainfall (up to 15mm) falling on Tuesday.
7 to 9mm of rain is expected to fall each day from Wednesday to Sunday.
The maximum temperatures are around 15 to 18 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperatures are between 10 and 11 degrees Celsius.
Canberra
Canberra residents are in for a cold but relatively dry week, with cloudy weather forecast to last well into the weekend.
Morning frost is expected on Tuesday and Wednesday, while a small chance of showers is forecast from Thursday through the weekend.
The mercury will drop to a chilly -2C on Tuesday and to 0C on Wednesday, while lows will reach a high of 3C.
Highs for the week will remain in the low to mid teens.
Weatherzone explained that while high pressure is common after a cold front, the system will linger over Tasmania before becoming what experts call a ‘blocking high pressure’. The system will also challenge the Australian all-time air pressure record (pictured)
For parts of South Australia and Western Australia the high pressure system is likely to bring longer periods of rain than normal (Photo: People walking on Henley Beach, Adelaide)
Melbourne
A cold and dry week is forecast for Melbourne, with partly cloudy days.
Maximum temperatures are expected to be between 12 and 14 degrees Celsius.
The mercury will drop to a chilly 1C on Wednesday, while minimum temperatures will be around 2C to 3C for the rest of the week.
The blocking high-pressure area will also cause frost in some parts of the city and there is a chance of morning fog throughout the week.
Hobart
Australians in Hobart can enjoy a cold but mostly sunny week with temperatures reaching a high of 11 to 12 degrees Celsius, while lows are between 2 and 3 degrees Celsius.
In Launceston, meanwhile, temperatures are forecast to fall below freezing for the next seven consecutive mornings.
Adelaide
Cold and dry weather is forecast in Adelaide for the start of the week, with the chance of showers increasing from Thursday to Sunday.
The maximum temperatures are around 15 degrees Celsius.
The minimum temperatures on Tuesday and Wednesday will be around 4 degrees Celsius, after which the minimum temperatures will rise to 10 degrees Celsius on Sunday.
Up to 10mm of rain is forecast to fall over three days from Friday and into the weekend.
In the photo, two early morning walkers brave the cold weather at Birdsland Reserve in Belgrave South, east of Melbourne
Perth
Mostly sunny weather is forecast in Perth this week.
The mercury will drop to 6 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, while maximum temperatures will reach the high teens throughout the week.
Showers and up to 8mm of rain are expected on Tuesday, clearing before returning over the weekend, with up to 15mm of rain on Sunday.
Darwin
Darwin residents, meanwhile, can escape the cold thanks to sunny weather and temperatures remaining around 30 degrees well into the weekend.
The minimum temperatures will drop to 17°C and 19°C in the morning.