Temperatures plummet as cool change sweeps across south-east Australia

The New Daily and AAP
Dec 28, 2022, updated Dec 28, 2022

Crowds flocked to Bondi Beach in Sydney on Christmas Day. Photo: AAP

Temperatures are set to plummet as a cool change blows away a heatwave that left Melbourne sweltering through its hottest night in almost five years.

The Bureau of Meteorology said on Wednesday a cold front was sweeping over southeast Australia, and could bring damaging winds.

In Adelaide the mercury has already dived from a scorching 41 degrees down to a quite chill 18 degrees.

The cool change is expected to reach Melbourne about midday and Hobart in the afternoon, bringing possible showers and isolated thunderstorms.

Maximum temperatures will fall by 10 to 15C and are expected to hover around average or below average on Thursday and Friday, before warming up again into the weekend.

Inland NSW towns could reach 40C on Wednesday before the cool change, which should reach Sydney on Wednesday night.

Sydney’s outer west should reach 35C but the city looks likely to notch up its first year without a day above 32C.

Hot night

Cooling off at Port Melbourne beach on Tuesday. Photo: AAP

The about-turn in the weather comes after Melbourne endured its warmest night in almost five years on Tuesday.

The mercury remained near 30C in the early hours of the morning before dipping to 27.1C at 5.23am.

Conditions were more oppressive in Moorabbin where the temperature held above 28.1C.

Wind and rain warnings

Elevated areas of Victoria and Tasmania could also see potentially damaging winds of up to 90km/h ahead of the change, expected to ease by Wednesday afternoon.

A severe wind warning has been issued for the central and eastern ranges in Victoria, including the Grampians and Otways, and for southern, central and eastern districts of Tasmania.

Warnings are also in place for parts of the Northern Territory’s Barkly district where ex-Tropical Cyclone Ellie is dumping heavy localised rainfalls bringing flash flooding.

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The system is expected to track close to Tennant Creek on Wednesday before moving northwest and intensifying in the Gregory district and Kimberley region of Western Australia later in the week.

Yachts arriving in Tasmania for the Sydney Hobart are expected to see winds swing from northerly overnight to southwesterly early on Wednesday afternoon, along with the slight chance of a shower.

Temperatures are tipped to warm up again over southeast Australia into New Year’s Eve, becoming warm to hot for the long weekend.