A frigid airmass is causing temperatures to plummet this week across southeastern Australia, with temperatures likely to peak to around 3-5ºC below average in several capital cities.
The cold airmass has moved across southeastern Australia in the wake of a cold front that swept through the region on the weekend.
Visible satellite imagery from Japan’s Himawari-8 satellite shows a large region of speckled cloud extending from the Great Australian Bight over part of southeastern Australia on Monday afternoon. This broad area of speckled cloud is a tell-tale sign that a large mass of cold polar air has broken away from the Antarctic region and is venturing into the relatively warm mid-latitudes.
Image: Visible satellite image captured at midday on Monday by the Himawari-8 satellite, showing speckled cloud within a polar air mass moving over southeastern Australia.
As we write this story, Hobart’s temperature is a chilly 6ºC at midday on Monday, July 18. The temperature is forecast to climb to only 8ºC, which is around 5 degrees below average.
The NSW Alps have also seen the heaviest snow falls in the last six weeks in the wake of the cold front, with Perisher Valley in NSW picking up around 30 cm of snow in the 24 hours to 9am Monday, July 18.
The map below shows a cool airmass moving over southeastern Australia on Monday afternoon.
Image: Forecast 850 hPa temperature on Monday, July 18, according to the ECMWF-HRES model.
Clear skies and high pressure will keep daytime temperatures several degrees below average over parts of several states this week. This includes five of seven state capital cities, including the vast majority of the Australian population:
- Adelaide is forecast to reach 11 to 13ºC on Monday and Tuesday, around 2 to 4ºC below average.
- Melbourne’s maximum temperature is predicted to only hit 10C on Monday and 12ºC on Tuesday and Wednesday.
- Melbourne’s temperature early Wednesday and Thursday mornings should drop to 0 to 2ºC, 4 to 6ºC below average.
- Canberra’s minimums will drop to below 0ºC from Tuesday morning onwards.
- Sydney’s daily maximums will range from 14 to 16ºC until Thursday.
- Brisbane’s days will only reach about 17 to 20ºC from Tuesday to Sunday.
Fortunately, the southern states can expect a warmer than average end to the week ahead of another cold front forecast to arrive early next week. For more information on Weatherzone’s energy temperature forecasting, please contact us at apac.sales@dtn.com.
Thumbnail picture: Frosty morning web in Wingadee NSW, July 15: Souce @wingadeeparkequestriancentre
