Australians should prepare for a chilly spell in the coming days as an Antarctic cold front sweeps across the nation, sending temperatures plummeting.
Since Monday, a powerful cold front coupled with a low-pressure system has been advancing eastward, delivering a brisk start to winter for much of the country.
In Sydney, temperatures are forecasted to peak at a mere 15°C on Wednesday. A severe weather warning persists for the third consecutive day as strong winds continue to cause disruptions across the city.
While some may be eager for warmer beach weather later in the week, the Bureau of Meteorology has cautioned that another cold front is expected to arrive just two days later.
Melbourne residents are also bracing for a cold snap, with temperatures hovering around 12°C for most of the week. Raincoats may be necessary on Wednesday morning, as heavy showers and thunderstorms are anticipated.
These freezing conditions coincide with predictions of snow falling as low as 300 meters in northern Victoria, 500 meters in New South Wales’ southern highlands, and 600 meters in Tasmania.
Anyone going for a walk in Sydney will have to rug up as the temperature plunges and strong winds linger (pictured: women in Bondi)
While many Sydneysiders will be hanging out for a beach day, the Bureau of Meterology warned another cold front will hit just two days later (Pictured: A woman reads a book in Bondi)
Wednesday will bring chilly temperatures to most parts of southern Australia
Weatherzone meteorologist Brett Dutschke said on the Oberon Plateau near NSW’s Blue Mountains as much as five centimetres of snow has been seen on the ground.
The same could also be seen as far north as Walcha, just south of the Northern Tablelands, he said.
Victoria’s Mount Buller received 15cm of snow, while Perisher copped 20cm.
Significant snow on alpine peaks of 20-50cm is also likely with blizzard conditions.
The bureau warns the low-level snow and windy conditions will create particularly hazardous driving conditions, with inland highways likely to be hit by sleet.
Most of the country’s southeast has already been blasted with wild wind gusts this week.
Southeast Queensland was hard-hit on Tuesday, with gusts reaching up to 90km/h, bringing down power lines and leaving more than 15,000 homes without power.
Weatherzone meteorologist Brett Dutschke said snow would fall as low as 300m in northern parts of Victoria, 500m in NSW’s southern highlands, and 600m in Tasmania
Southern parts of South Australia and areas of Sydney are expected to see gusts of up to 100km/h.
Wednesday is expected to be ‘significantly windy’ in both states, the meteorologist added, but should calm down by Thursday.
The cold front is also bringing large swells that will batter most of the southern Australian mainland, in particular South Australia and western Victoria.
Severe weather warnings for damaging wind gusts are in place for much of South Australia and NSW, plus northern Victoria.
An icy blast hitting much of southern and eastern Australia is expected to intensify with low-level snow expected to fall in several states
Fallen trees left behind a big clean-up job across Sydney’s north shore on Monday
South Australia was already battered by an intense weather system on Monday night, with some of Adelaide’s northern suburbs even seeing a tornado form.
Meanwhile in NSW, storms left behind a trail of destruction on the streets of Newcastle while snow has fallen for the first time this year west of Lithgow.
Weather warnings are still in place around southeastern parts of Australia.
In NSW the Great Dividing Range has been put on alert for potentially damaging winds.
The same warnings have been issued for parts of Sydney, the Byron Coast, Macquarie Coast, Hunter Coast, Sydney Coast, Illawarra Coast, Batemans Coast and Eden Coast.
At Lord Howe Island gusts may reach up to 90km/hour with swells to hit five metres high.
In Victoria residents in Port Phillip, Western Port, Gippsland Lakes, West Coast and Central Coast have all been warned of severe winds.
In South Australia strong winds are also forecast for Adelaide Metropolitan Waters, Upper West Coast, Lower West Coast and Gulf St Vincent.
On Monday night wild winds and torrential downpours caused widespread destruction across the harbour city, including Lindfield, Turramurra, St Ives and Killara on the north shore and Dural in the north-west.
A black Mercedes was crushed by a fallen tree branch in Double Bay in the city’s east, causing extensive damage to its front windscreen.
Canberra will see some showers on Tuesday with a maximum of 9C forecast.
Adelaide will see a top of 14C while Sydney will reach highs of 18C.
A map showing the lowest July temperatures ever recorded for major cities, according to the Bureau of Meteorology
Residents in Hobart and Melbourne woke up to a chilly morning on Tuesday with both cities to reach a top of just 11C.
Temperatures will be warmer in Brisbane with the Queensland capital to see tops of 21C but winds will hang around for most of the day.
Meanwhile in Western Australia heavy rainfall is battering most of the Pilbara region, with up to 200mm of rain falling over the past few days.
A map compiled by Daily Mail Australia using the Bureau of Meteorology’s climate data search function has revealed the lowest July temperatures in recorded history.
It shows Canberra recorded the lowest temperature freezing -8C while Hobart and Melbourne hit a chilly -2.8C.
Perth’s lowest temperature was 0C while Adelaide was marginally warmer at 0.4C, with Brisbane and Sydney plunging to 2.3C and 2.2C respectively.
David Taylor, who runs the Brisbane Weather and East Coast Weather Facebook pages said there was a chance that temperatures could drop that low this winter, but predicted temperatures would be generally above average.
However, Chris Matthews, a meteorologist at Weatherzone, predicted below average maximum temperatures this winter.
