Weather News

Fire and Ice over eastern Australia

Jacobus Cronje, Sunday February 12, 2017 - 09:58 AEDT

While large parts of New South Wales and Queensland are feeling the continued effects of a blistering heatwave, conditions in Tasmania could not be more contrasting.

The cold front and southwesterly circulation in its wake that will cool NSW down later today has dropped temperatures over Tasmania dramatically, with maximum temperatures not expected to reach 20 degrees across the state.

Gusty showers will likely affect most of Tasmania today and early on Monday, with gale wind warnings in place for large parts of the coast.

Given the cold airmass over the state at the moment, relatively low freezing level and enough moisture to deliver at least light showers, there is a good chance that Mt Wellington will get a light dusting of snow later today. Hobart itself should receive about 3-5 mm of rainfall, reaching a top temperature of only 17 degrees.

While snowfalls over Tasmania are not unprecedented in summer, the phenomenon seems particularly out of place at the moment, given the record-breaking heat over much of eastern Australia.

- Weatherzone

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