Australia’s east coast is bracing for rain this weekend, as some areas across the country hit record icy temperatures – one town experiencing its coldest start to the day in 18 years.
Sydney has endured rain for seven out of the last eight weekends, a trend which meteorologists expect to continue this Saturday and Sunday.
Sky News Meteorologist Rob Sharpe said wet conditions are on the way for the entire south east and outback Australia this weekend.
Showers are tracking in a northerly direction across New South Wales, with Wollongong and Sydney set to be in the firing line, as well as the North Coast, from Friday.
“Showers and storms tending to rain periods in outback Australia, showers on the east coast and on the west coast on Saturday night into Sunday we’ll have a band of wet weather move in as well,” Sharpe said.
Sharpe revealed Alice Springs had experienced its coldest morning in two years on Thursday morning, waking to a minimum temperature of -3 degrees.
Meanwhile in Liawenee – a small town in Tasmania near the Great Lake – residents saw a polar -13.5 degrees, marking its coldest morning out of any area in Australia in the last four years.
“That is the coldest July temperature anywhere in Tasmania, and Tasmania’s second coldest temperature on record for any month,” Sharpe explained.
Sharpe said Warrnambool on Victoria’s south-west coast also hit a low of -2.4 degrees on Thursday, reaching its coldest temperature for any month in 18 years.
“It’s going to be frosty for Victoria and Tasmania and continue for parts of central Australia, even parts of the South West Land Division tomorrow morning looking a little bit frosty,” he continued.
“That’s similar into Saturday morning as well, with again Tasmania bearing the brunt of the coldest weather, I would expect.
“Then into Sunday, Victoria will be become notably chillier again down into the southern parts, with frost in many parts of Melbourne expected on that day.”
Minimum temperatures are expected to hover around 10 to 12 degrees Celsius on Saturday and Sunday in Sydney with showers on both days, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
Moving into Queensland, rain is predicted in Brisbane from Friday through to next Wednesday.
Showers are expected across Saturday and Sunday in the capital city, with a maximum temperatures setting between 21 degrees and 22 degrees.
Perth is set to see wet weather on Saturday and Sunday as well, with a high of 18 degrees and 20 degrees, respectively.
Meanwhile in Adelaide, Saturday is set to be sunny with a high of 17 degrees before the weather takes a wet turn on Sunday with a shower or two and top of 16 degrees.
Melburnians can expect a low of 4 degrees on Saturday, dropping to a minimum of 1 degrees on Sunday, with sun forecast for both days.
Mostly sunny skies are predicted in Canberra on Saturday and Sunday, with a minimum of -1 degrees on both days before temperatures climb to 13 and 14 degrees, respectively.
Hobart is set to endure a low of 5 degrees on Saturday and 3 degrees on Sunday. Partly cloudy conditions are expected all weekend.
The warmest weather is forecast for Darwin, with sunny skies and a high of 32 degrees on Saturday and Sunday.