Weather Forecast: Australians Braced for Cold, Wet Conditions in the South
Australians in the southern regions are being advised to prepare for a week of cold and wet weather, with damaging winds expected to impact several states. The Bureau of Meteorology has issued warnings about the changing weather patterns, which are set to bring significant changes to the region.
Initial Conditions and Upcoming Changes
The week begins with relatively dry and settled conditions across South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, and New South Wales. However, this calm is expected to be short-lived as a cold front, driven by a low-pressure system, approaches from the west on Tuesday. This front is anticipated to sweep over the Great Australian Bight, bringing rain across the affected states and snowfall to the highest elevations.
According to senior meteorologist Angus Hines, the main impact of this cold front will occur on Tuesday, followed by another wave of strong winds around Wednesday. “Anyone south of a line from Perth to Sydney, or even a bit north of that, is likely to experience a couple of quite windy days this week,” he said.
While most areas may not trigger rain warnings, damaging wind warnings are expected. The cold front is expected to dissipate, but not before another spell of wind and moderate rainfall hits South Australia on Wednesday.
Weather Outlook for the Week
After experiencing warmer temperatures and mostly sunny weekends, many parts of South Australia have seen heavy downpours in Perth and lightning storms in much of NSW on Sunday. The system responsible for these conditions has since moved out to sea.
Hines noted that the weekend outlook for the southern parts of the country depends on any incoming cold fronts. “This time of year, we almost see a conveyor belt of cold fronts, bringing one after the next in southern parts of the country,” he explained. While there may be a brief gap of drier weather on Friday and Saturday, this could break down by Sunday, allowing wind and rain to return.
Warnings and Impacts
Gale-force wind warnings remain in place for Western Australia, with coastal winds expected to stay strong in the state’s southwest until Tuesday. Sheep graziers are particularly warned about the risks of cold temperatures, rain, and strong westerly winds affecting their livestock.
The second of two cold fronts will bring rainy conditions across a region covering Perth to Esperance on Monday morning, potentially causing small amounts of hail. This front is also expected to bring snow to some of NSW and Victoria’s snowfields, with snowfall possibly reaching as low as 1,000 meters on Tuesday and 900 meters on Wednesday.
Northern Weather Patterns
In contrast, the northern part of the country is experiencing a high-pressure system that is leading to clearer and drier conditions in much of Queensland. Many areas could see completely cloudless skies throughout the week.
Temperature Forecasts
On Tuesday, Sydney will experience mostly sunny conditions with a maximum temperature of 19°C. Melbourne, however, faces rain and a maximum of 14°C as the cold front moves in. Brisbane and Darwin will enjoy sunny weather with maximum temperatures of 22°C and 32°C respectively.
Perth and Adelaide will see highs of 16°C and 15°C, respectively, with rain expected. Canberra will face temperatures as low as 0°C, while Hobart will have a maximum of 14°C and rain.
Coastal Conditions and Waves
Mr. Hines warned that coastal conditions could deteriorate in the southern states over the week, with large waves expected to affect the west of Australia. These waves, ranging between 5m and 7m, could lead to high tides and potential inundation in low-lying areas such as car parks, walkways, and bike paths.
“People might call it nuisance flooding,” Hines said. “It could affect properties along high tide in Western Australia, South Australia, and Victoria in a couple of days.”
Detailed Weather Forecasts
Sydney
– Tuesday: Mostly sunny. Min 7°C. Max 19°C.
– Wednesday: Mostly sunny. Min 10°C. Max 19°C.
– Thursday: Becoming windy. Partly cloudy. Min 9°C. Max 18°C.
Perth
– Tuesday: Showers. Min 7°C. Max 16°C.
– Wednesday: Sunny. Min 6°C. Max 18°C.
– Thursday: Sunny. Min 5°C. Max 19°C.
Melbourne
– Tuesday: Showers increasing. Windy. Min 9°C. Max 14°C.
– Wednesday: Shower or two. Min 7°C. Max 13°C.
– Thursday: Showers. Min 7°C. Max 11°C.
Hobart
– Tuesday: Shower or two. Min 5°C. Max 14°C.
– Wednesday: Possible shower. Min 6°C. Max 12°C.
– Thursday: Shower or two. Min 4°C. Max 12°C.
Canberra
– Tuesday: Morning frost. Shower or two. Min 0°C. Max 13°C.
– Wednesday: Morning frost. Partly cloudy. Min 0°C. Max 11°C.
– Thursday: Showers. Min -1°C. Max 9°C.
Brisbane
– Tuesday: Sunny. Min 9°C. Max 22°C.
– Wednesday: Mostly sunny. Min 9°C. Max 25°C.
– Thursday: Mostly sunny. Min 13°C. Max 23°C.
Darwin
– Tuesday: Sunny. Min 21°C. Max 32°C.
– Wednesday: Sunny. Min 20°C. Max 30°C.
– Thursday: Sunny. Min 19°C. Max 31°C.
Adelaide
– Tuesday: Cloudy. Very high chance of rain. Min 10°C. Max 15°C.
– Wednesday: Cloudy. Very high chance of showers. Min 9°C. Max 13°C.
– Thursday: Cloudy. Very high chance of showers. Min 8°C. Max 14°C.
