If you woke up this morning and thought it looked a bit grey and grizzly then buckle up sunshine – it’s about to get much, much worse. Australia’s southeast, including Melbourne, is about to experience some of its coldest autumn weather in decades.
The Bureau of Meteorology has announced that a strong and severe cold front is to hit Australia’s southeast from Wednesday, April 29. Residents in South Australia, Victoria and some parts of NSW and Queensland can expect rain, strong winds, small hail, thunderstorms and even snow, as well as a goosebump-inducing blast of cold air.
Maximum daily temperatures will hover between eight and 14 degrees across the southeast, with Melbourne set to experience its coldest April day since 1996 on Thursday, with a top temperature of just 13 degrees. On Friday, some parts of Victoria will have their coldest May day in two decades.
Count your lucky stars you’re not in our nation’s capital though, with Canberra to experience its earliest sub ten-degree day since 1952 on Friday, with the temperature only expected to get to seven degrees. While those living in parts of northern South Australia, northwest NSW and southwest Queensland are about to experience their coldest April day since the 1960s or 70s.
In Victoria, we can expect up to 15 millilitres of rainfall across most of the state, with the northeast regions getting drenched with up to 100 millilitres. Those in alpine regions may even experience snow, with falls expected as low as 800 metres.
Be alert for flood and severe weather warnings, it’s going to be a wild and woolly few days with respite from the cold front not expected until early next week. We’d tell you to bunker down indoors, but in all likelihood, you’re probably already a pro at that.