Overview
- A strong cold front will sweep the southeast this weekend, bringing the coldest nights of the year with lows near or below freezing.
- Thredbo is forecast to drop to about -5°C on Saturday and could post the nation’s lowest temperature, with Victoria’s alpine resorts near -3°C.
- Major cities will feel the chill, with Melbourne near 5°C on Saturday morning and Canberra around 0 to -1°C early Sunday, before the cold reaches the Northern Tablelands by Monday.
- The Bureau of Meteorology says the chill comes from clear skies, light winds and a high-pressure system that allow rapid overnight cooling.
- Elsewhere, wet-season storms continue in the tropical north and flood warnings remain for western Queensland, as gale-force winds and coastal rain impact southern Western Australia from the Leeuwin and Albany coasts through Perth toward Geraldton.