A wintry blast is expected to envelop Australia’s south-east over the weekend bringing snow, hail and thunderstorms to New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia.
Temperatures are expected to be around 4C to 12C below average.
Diana Eadie, a meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology, said the cold was going to be exacerbated by the windy conditions.
“We’re also going to see increased winds, showers and storms with that, so the apparent temperature may be even colder than what we’ll see on the thermometers.”
The cold snap is expected to hit on Friday and Saturday, before milder weather returns on Sunday.
Eadie said that Melbourne, Hobart and Adelaide were expected to bear the brunt, with Sydney expected to experience milder weather.
A number of low pressure systems developing will be directing winds from further south.
As the front moves across Australia’s south-east over the weekend, damaging winds could develop along the Great Dividing Range.
A blizzard warning has been issued for alpine peaks in NSW. Authorities expect snow across the peaks and are warning that combined with the strong winds it may result in white-out conditions.
With the beginning of school holidays in NSW, authorities are warning families travelling to be wary of icy roads and treacherous conditions.
Eadie said motorists should take heed of warnings issued from the Bureau of Meteorology and from emergency services.
“To drive with those conditions, with the potential for blizzards, could actually be quite dangerous.”
Eadie said it was unlikely the rain would reach drought-affected areas in NSW.
The conditions come after the bureau forecast for a wetter-than-average spring.
The bureau’s manager of climate operations, Dr Andrew Watkins, said the outlook was largely driven by the expected La Niña event.
“Most long-range forecasts analysed by the bureau are indicating a La Niña could develop in the spring, which typically results in above-average winter-spring rainfall for Australia.
“A La Niña also typically brings cooler and cloudier days, more tropical cyclones, and an earlier onset of the first rains of the northern wet season.”
