Weather News

One third of Australia braces for an Antarctic blast

Max Gonzalez, Wednesday July 30, 2014 - 14:18 AEST

While much of the country has been enjoying balmy winter days under a broad high pressure system, the far southeastern corner has been experiencing strong, brisk winds and showers throughout most of the week.

The blustery conditions have been the result of a series of fronts traversing the far south of Australia this week. The front to rule them all, however, is yet to come and is due to affect Adelaide and Melbourne first tomorrow.

In Adelaide, northwesterly winds will be strengthening tomorrow ahead of the vigorous cold front, which is expected to reach the city at around midday. The timing of the front passing over the city means the mercury is likely to reach the mid-teens late in the morning before cloud and rain pushes in later in the day, dropping the temperatures for the remainder of the afternoon. Wind gusts, which are likely to reach 70-90km/h ahead of the change, will make it feel a few degrees colder.

The front will then reach Melbourne mid-to-late afternoon on Thursday with northwesterly winds nudging the 100km/h mark along the hills and bay ahead of the front. These are then likely to ease to about 70-80km/h as winds turn more westerly in the wake of the front during the evening. Although the mercury is likely to reach the mid-teens in the early afternoon, people will feel the wind factor once the change arrives, making it feel more like the single digits.

A bitterly cold air mass will then spread through southeastern Australia in the wake of this cold front, bringing a taste of what winter is all about. The cold winds will reach Sydney early Friday and Brisbane later in the day.

This air mass is looking to be so cold, that snowfalls are likely down to about 600 metres in Victoria on Thursday and to about 500 metres on Friday. Southern NSW will see snow down to about 700m and even elevated areas of NSW's Central Tablelands could see some of the white powder Friday night and Saturday morning. To the west, SA's Flinders ranges and Mt Lofty Ranges are likely to see a few flurry mixed in with the rain, down to about 600 metres.

Across the Bass Strait, snow flurries are likely down to about 300m in Tasmania. This means that Hobart residents should see a white dusting atop Mount Wellington as they wake on Saturday morning.

- Weatherzone

© Weatherzone 2014

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