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The cold snap persisting in southeastern Australia is expected to worsen in the coming days as an Antarctic blast brings even colder temperatures.
Sky News Australia meteorologist Rob Sharpe said cold conditions, driven by a series of low pressure systems, would persist across Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales well into the weekend.
“There will be windy weather in the southeast on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, particularly on Saturday, and there will be some wet weather at the same time,” Sharpe said.
Meanwhile, a southerly airflow will cause temperatures to drop significantly across large parts of Queensland and northern regions of the Northern Territory.
In these areas, temperatures are expected to be 4 to 8 degrees lower than the usual July average.
Strong winds, heavy rain and hail are also expected in Western Australia, including Perth.
A series of cold fronts lingering over Australia will keep minimum temperatures in the single digits across large parts of the country.
Brisbane
The rest of the week in the Sunshine State is expected to be chilly, with lows in the mid-10s.
Brisbane is expected to see mostly sunny weather with highs ranging from 21°C to 23°C over the weekend.
Sydney
The rest of the week is expected to be cold and clear, with maximum temperatures barely reaching 20ºC.
Friday will have a minimum temperature of 6 °C, Saturday a minimum of 10 °C and Sunday a minimum of 8 °C, and all three days will reach a maximum temperature of 18 °C.
Windy conditions are forecast for Saturday, with morning gusts of up to 40 km/h.
Canberra
Temperatures are expected to drop significantly in the country’s capital, with cloudy and cold days expected due to a low pressure system trapping cold air.
Rain is forecast from Friday to Sunday, with the heaviest rainfall, up to 15mm, expected on Saturday.
On Friday, minimum temperatures will drop to a chilly -2°C, reaching a daytime high of 10°C. Over the weekend, minimum temperatures will be 3°C on Saturday and 1°C on Sunday, with daytime highs of 9°C and 12°C respectively.
Maximum temperatures in Melbourne will struggle to rise above 15°C, with lows of 7°C and 8°C over the weekend.
Wet weather conditions are expected in Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart, Adelaide and Perth.
Melbourne
Melbourne residents will face cold and wet conditions well into the weekend.
Rain is forecast every day, with the heaviest on Friday before easing to light showers early next week.
Maximum temperatures will struggle to exceed 15°C, with minimums of 7°C and 8°C over the weekend.
There will also be wind on Friday and Saturday, with gusts of up to 45 km/h in the city.
Hobart
Cool and wet conditions are forecast for Hobart as a low pressure system remains over the region.
Residents are bracing for a chilly 2°C on Friday morning, before temperatures rise to 12°C during the day.
Temperatures will drop to 5°C on Saturday and 6°C on Sunday, with highs reaching 11°C and 14°C respectively.
Rain is also forecast from Friday through mid-next week.
Adelaide
Adelaide is forecast to experience cold, wet and windy weather from Friday and into the weekend.
Maximum temperatures will remain around 15 °C, while minimum temperatures will alternate between 9 °C and 10 °C until Sunday.
Heavy rainfall of up to 20 mm is forecast for Friday along with strong winds of up to 50 km/h.
On Saturday, rainfall of up to 9 mm and winds of up to 40 km/h are also expected in the state capital.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a strong offshore wind warning for Thursday for areas including the Lower West Coast, Central Coast, South Central Coast, Investigator Strait, Upper South East Coast and Lower South East Coast.
A gale warning has also been issued for Friday for Adelaide Metropolitan Waters, the Far West Coast, Lower West Coast, Central Coast, South Central Coast, Spencer Gulf, Gulf St Vincent, Investigator Strait, Upper South East Coast and Lower South East Coast.
A cold air mass over south-west Western Australia will bring heavy rain, small hail, blustery winds and cold temperatures (pictured)
Perth
A cold air mass bringing heavy rain, hail and stormy winds is heading towards Perth.
A maximum temperature of 17 °C and a minimum of 9 °C are forecast for Thursday and Friday.
Temperatures will drop to 10°C and 12°C over the weekend, rising to a high of 20°C during the day on Sunday.
Inland areas of the Southwest are expected to see the coldest temperatures over the next few days, with highs only reaching 14°C.
“As this chilly air mass moves towards the coast with a band of rain, the south-west could see light hail on Thursday,” Weatherzone said.
‘In addition to cold air and small hail, heavy rain is expected to begin affecting the southwest overnight Wednesday into Thursday, including the Perth region.’
Severe thunderstorms are also possible as the front moves toward the coast, bringing with it the possibility of heavy rainfall.
Widespread rainfall of 10-20mm is expected, while isolated rainfall of 30-60mm is forecast for areas along the south-west coast of Western Australia.
Darwin
Meanwhile, Darwin residents will be able to escape the cold weather with sunny conditions and temperatures ranging from 28°C to 31°C well into the weekend.