Weather News

Cold blast for southeast Australia

Ben McBurney, Thursday March 26, 2015 - 09:39 AEDT

Australia's southeast is getting its first real taste of the change of seasons as a complex low and front sweep across the region.

Tasmania, Victoria and far southeast parts of South Australia will cop a burst of blustery winds, showers, thunderstorms and small hail today as the system passes - conditions not seen since spring.

Temperatures will struggle to reach the mid-to-high teens, temperatures more typical of May than March.

While Tuesday was colder across some parts, today will feel just as cold if not colder due to gale force winds associated with the system.

Wind gusts up to 110km/h are possible about southern parts of Victoria and western parts of Tasmania throughout today and into tomorrow morning, mainly about the coast and ranges.

Showers will affect most of the region, but heaviest about the coast and ranges, with the airmass cold enough to bring the chance of small hail in any showers.

Showers accompanied by thunderstorms already brought 34mm to 9am at Low head today, including 6mm in just 10 minutes and the heaviest since July 2013. A further 15-30mm is possible across southwest VIC and TAS for the remainder of today and into Friday morning.

There is also the chance of a flurry or two about the Alps tonight and tomorrow morning.

The complex low, currently stretching from Bass Strait and over TAS is exhibiting the Fujiwhara effect. This is when two nearby cyclonic vorticities rotate around each other. Typically these two vorticities eventually merge, forming one main region of low pressure, which is likely to occur as the system moves out over the Tasman Sea on Friday.

Conditions should rapidly improve once this system moves over the Tasman Sea, with wind likely to be significantly lighter and only the odd light shower around by Friday evening.

Those who aren't quite ready for the cooler conditions to set in yet can rest easy, with a sustained period of warm weather likely to develop from Sunday and persist into next week.

- Weatherzone

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