Coldest night in more than 40 years: Aussies shiver through temperatures as low as -4C
Millions of Australians shivered through freezing temperatures overnight with some parts of the country recording their coldest night in decades.
Mt Isa, in north-west Queensland, recorded its coldest June night in 44 years after temperatures plunged to -0.7C.
Further east, in Richmond, a minimum temperature of -0.1C was the first sub-zero night in 13 years. Oakey on the Darling Downs reached a low of -4.2C.
'What we're seeing is a very stubborn high pressure system sitting over the east coast,' the Bureau of Meteorology's Jonathon How told Daily Mail Australia.
'It's made up of light wind, clear skies and cool air; the clear sky does mean that temperature can drop overnight.
'We are expecting another frosty night across Queensland tonight.'
In NSW, the cold snap blanketed the Central Tablelands in snow and temperatures sank below freezing.
Sydneysiders have been warned to expect scattered showers and tops of 16C.
A southerly airstream has continued dragging cold air up the east coast, likely to bring wetter weather into the weekend.
Showers are expected to develop from Thursday night along the exposed eastern NSW as a trough sits offshore.
A low pressure system in the Tasman Sea and a high over the Great Australian Bight combined to push the south-westerly air over Queensland and New South Wales.
'Showers along the coastal fringe, couple thunderstorms though most of it is sort of offshore,' he said.
The eastern suburbs could see possible showers today, before light showers become more widespread on Friday.
Melbourne will remain drier heading into the end of the week after multiple rounds of showers fell across Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania.
Many of the areas to receive the dampening had endured a record dry start to the year, with farmers saying more rain was needed to break the drought.
'Southern and south-eastern Australia will need to see more healthy rain-bearing systems this winter to further reduce or wipe out the longer-term rainfall deficiencies,' Weatherzone wrote at the time.
Gusty showers and potential storms developing across southern Western Australia on Friday as a cold front clips the bottom of the state.
The front is tipped to reach Adelaide on Saturday, bringing showers to some of the driest regions of the state.
The Mid North of the state looks likely to miss out on the much-needed rain, but the upper Eyre Peninsula –which has seen the least rainfall all year– should receive some of the showers.
'That cold front will track across South Australia and reach Adelaide on Saturday, in terms of rainfall, any is welcome,' Mr How said.
The bureau is expecting about 10mm of rain in the SA capital on Saturday before the system moves over Victoria and weakens on Sunday.
'There is another coming on Monday from the same direction,' Mr How said.
Sydney
Friday: Shower or two. Min 10C. Max 16C.
Saturday: Shower or two. Min 11C. Max 17C.
Sunday: Partly cloudy. Min 9C. Max 18C.
Perth
Friday: Showers. Min 11C. Max 21C
Saturday: Partly cloudy. Min 6C. Max 20C
Sunday: Shower or two. Min 10C. Max 20C
Adelaide
Friday: Mostly sunny. Min 7C. Max 18C.
Saturday: Showers. Min 8C. Max 16C.
Sunday: Shower or two. Min 8C. Max 16C.
Melbourne
Friday: Mostly sunny. Min 3C. Max 14C.
Saturday: Partly cloudy. Min 3C. Max 13C.
Sunday: Possible shower. Min 7C. Max 15C.
Hobart
Friday: Mostly sunny. Min 3C. Max 14C.
Saturday: Mostly sunny. Min 4C. Max 15C.
Sunday: Partly cloudy. Min 4C. Max 15C.
Canberra
Friday: Morning frost. Partly cloudy. Min -1C. Max 13C.
Saturday: Morning frost. Partly cloudy. Min -1C. Max 14C.
Sunday: Morning frost. Partly cloudy. Min 1C. Max 13C.
Brisbane
Friday: Sunny. Min 8C. Max 19C.
Saturday: Sunny. Min 8C. Max 21C.
Sunday: Sunny. Min 10C. Max 23C.
Darwin
Friday: Sunny. Min 19C. Max 30C.
Saturday: Sunny. Min 19C. Max 30C.
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