Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra residents have woken up to the coldest morning of 2023, as a cold front blasted through Australia’s southeast overnight.
While Monday morning temperatures were forecast at 11C, 4.4C and 8.5C for Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne on Monday morning, the wind chill factor sent the mercury shivering to apparent temperatures of 1.8C, 0.4C and 5.8C respectively.
“Most areas feel closer to 0C right now, out in the wind,” Sky News meteorologist Rob Sharpe said.
“The coldest weather for southeast Australia was through the weekend and today.
“It’s particularly windy on the NSW coast due to the low pressure system, and that’s leading to the very cold apparent temperatures this morning.”
The low pressure system also caused Canberra to have its coldest May day in 2000, with the capital recording a chilly high of just 7.8C on Sunday.
As it stands, no other low pressure systems are on the radar, with “signs of another cold change” forecast for later this week.
“We’ll return to mediocre May weather later this week,” Mr Sharpe said.
Widespread frost is also forecast for the early mornings from Tuesday to Thursday before conditions are set to ease.
Inland NSW and Queensland will bear the brunt of the morning frost on Tuesday and Wednesday before it moves into Victoria and Tasmania on Thursday.
While Monday morning’s “apparent” temperatures will have felt frostier due to the wind, recorded temperatures will actually be colder.
“Monday morning will feel colder for many people but the actual temperature will be lower in the next couple of mornings in a few spots,” said Mr Sharpe.
“By the end of the working week, we will thaw out a little bit across southeastern Australia and we’ll see more typical May weather take over again.”
The Bureau of Meteorology has also issued a severe weather warning for potentially damaging winds in the Metropolitan and the NSW Illawarra forecast districts, with the low pressure system off the south coast to blame.
Wind gusts could reach around 100km/h in Jervis Bay and around 90km/h elsewhere in the Illawarra and south Sydney. .
Waves of up to 5m to 6m could also hit the state’s south coast, with a damaging surf warning also active for the Hunter, Metropolitan, Illawarra, south coast and Mid North Coast forecast districts.
The Bureau warns that the heavy surf may lead to “localised damage and coastal erosion” between the Victorian border and Seal Rocks; however, conditions will begin to ease from the coastline south of Batemans Bay later on Monday.