By I. Hansana, Jadetimes News
Australia Braces for Wintry Weather Blast
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has forecast a significant surge of wintry weather across most of Australia this weekend. In Melbourne, temperatures struggled to reach a maximum of 13 degrees on Friday and are expected to rise only slightly by one or two degrees today and tomorrow. This follows Melbourne's coldest day in five years on Thursday, with temperatures peaking at just 10.1 degrees.
The BoM predicts that the cold weather will persist across much of southern Australia, with light rain expected along the New South Wales coast. Temperatures plummeted to 0 degrees early yesterday, and many areas will see maximum temperatures below 10 degrees throughout the weekend. Large parts of New South Wales are anticipating showers and cold conditions.
Sydney is set to experience a maximum temperature of 16 degrees today, accompanied by some rain, followed by a cooler day tomorrow. Inland areas of the state will see temperatures struggle to reach 15 degrees. Tasmania will face the brunt of the cold snap, with Hobart only reaching 12 degrees over the next few days.
Several strong wind warnings have been issued for the NSW coast, alongside hazardous surf warnings. The cold snap in south eastern regions is attributed to abundant cloud cover, which is blocking the sun and trapping cold air near the surface.
From July to September, both days and nights are expected to be warmer than average across Australia, with a higher likelihood of unusually warm conditions. During this period, rainfall is predicted to be above average for parts of the interior and the eastern seaboard, and below average for much of Victoria and Tasmania, south east South Australia, and parts of south west Western Australia.