There are no active warnings for this location.
Weather Maps
Daily Forecast
A high is keeping most of the southeast stable and dry after a cool start though a low pressure system east of Tas is swinging some showers over eastern Vic and southeast NSW. An upper level disturbance and weak front is forming cloud and the odd shower over southern WA and SA.
Latest Warnings
AUS
Latest News
Climate Updates
Latest News
Today, 5:00AM UTC
Severe wintry weather to hit southern Australia later this week
A powerful cold front will cause damaging winds, heavy rain, hail, snow and bitterly cold temperatures across the southern half of Australia towards the end of this week. This blast of wintry weather is likely to cause severe weather in at least four states. Antarctic low heading for Australia A low pressure system that is currently lurking at the edge of Antarctica is expected to track towards the northeast over the next few days. Computer models suggest the low will travel more than 4,000 km between Wednesday and Saturday, allowing the system to pass to the south of Australia this weekend. This low pressure system will drag a large mass of polar air towards Australia as it traverses the Southern Ocean. Based on the forecast trajectory of the low, this Antarctic air mass will get driven across southern Australia between Saturday and Monday. Image: 850 hPa temperature and mean sea level pressure on the morning of Saturday, August 8, showing a cold air mass reaching southwestern Australia as a complex low pressure system passes to the south of the country. Source: Weatherzone. Western Australia The cold front is expected to arrive in the southwest of WA on Friday night into Saturday morning, before pushing across the southern half of the state on Saturday. The passage of the front will cause rain, thunderstorms and blustery winds across the state’s south and southwest. Some areas in the south could also see small hail as the coldest air arrives behind the front. Perth will see pre-frontal rain on Friday before more wintry weather arrives on Saturday, including cold southwesterly winds, showers and possibly thunderstorms and small hail. The temperature in Perth is only forecast to reach 16°C on Saturday, although brisk winds should make it feel lower than 10°C for most of the day. South Australia The cold front will cross SA from Saturday afternoon into Sunday, likely reaching Adelaide on Sunday morning or early afternoon. Showers will develop over SA on Saturday ahead of the cold front and increase to more widespread rain as the front passes over the state on Saturday night and Sunday. Strong and blustery winds will also develop with and behind the cold front, with damaging wind gusts possible in some parts of the state during Sunday. Adelaide is forecast to see a maximum temperature of 16°C on Sunday, although like Perth, most of the day will feel colder than 10°C due to wind, cloud and showers. Southeastern Australia Wind and rain will increase over southeastern Australia from Saturday into Sunday, as northerly winds strengthen ahead of the approaching cold front. This pre-frontal air will be relatively warm, allowing most of the precipitation to initially fall as rain and not snow, except for higher terrain in the Alps. At this stage, the cold air will spread over NSW, Victoria, southern Queensland and the ACT from late Sunday into Monday, then Tasmania on Monday. Blustery winds, rain, hail, thunderstorms and snow will all occur in southeastern Australia on Sunday and Monday under the influence of this wintry system. This should include damaging to destructive winds and flooding rain. Damaging wind gusts are likely to develop in parts of Vic, NSW and the ACT and may also extend to Tas. This should include destructive gusts and blizzard conditions in the Alps. Image: Forecast wind gusts at 10am AEST on Monday, August 10, 2026. Source: Weatherzone. Rain will be widespread across Australia's southeastern states on Sunday and Monday, with the heaviest falls expected to occur along the ranges in central and northeast Vic and southern NSW. Northern Tas could also see heavy falls on Sunday and Monday. Some areas could see 50 to 100 mm of rain within 24 hours. Heavy snow potential This is shaping up to be one of the biggest snow-bearing systems of the year for southeastern Australia. Despite warm air and heavy rain ahead of the front on Sunday, the arrival of cold air late Sunday into Monday will provide ideal conditions for a decent amount of snow in the mainland Alps. It might even get cold enough for snow to fall in parts of central and northern NSW on Monday. Staying safe during this weather event This cold front is likely to cause severe weather over several states this weekend and early next week. This could include damaging to destructive winds, heavy rain, flooding and blizzards. Check the latest warnings in your area for the most up-to-date information on severe weather impacts. If you need emergency assistance, contact the SES on 132 500. Always call triple zero if you are in a life-threatening situation.
Today, 1:37AM UTC
Equal-lowest South Australian minimum in five years
A deep midwinter chill descended on South Australia overnight, with the state recording its lowest minimum in three years – and the equal-lowest in five years – when Yunta fell to -5.0°C just before 7 am on Wednesday. Yunta is a small town 275 km NE of Adelaide in the far south of SA’s North East Pastoral forecast district, at an elevation of about 300 metres above sea level. The tiny map speck of 60 residents has an arid climate with just 205.2 mm of rainfall annually, and August is typically the driest month with just 12.7 mm on average. Last night was the sixth consecutive night that the town has shivered through sub-zero temperatures. Last night’s minimum in Yunta was also just 1.6 degrees warmer than the record state August low of -6.6°C, which also occurred in Yunta (in 2014). Widespread frigid temperatures in South Australia overnight It was chilly in plenty of other South Australian locations overnight too, with the mercury falling below zero at some coastal weather stations including Port Pirie (-0.4°C) and Port Augusta (-0.3°C). Adelaide had its coldest night of the month so far with a low of 4.4°C while the airport fell to 1.9°C. Clare, at the centre of the famous Clare Valley wine area about 130 km north of Adelaide, had its coldest night of 2026 to date with a low of -1.9°C. Why was last night so cold in parts of South Australia? A high pressure system centred over the region around the SA/NSW border ensured calm, dry conditions overnight. This allowed rapid cooling of the wintry airmass lingering over parts of SA in the wake of a cold front that moved through on Monday. It’s worth noting that the far southeast of the state – which often provides the statewide low at towns like Keith – wasn't quite as cold as some other areas overnight due to slightly higher humidity. Western parts of SA also weren’t unusually cold, due to slightly warmer air ahead of the next cold front approaching Western Australia, and thickening cloud cover which provided a blanket effect. Will the very cold SA nights continue? The short answer is no. Yunta is expecting a minimum of 1°C on Thursday morning, which is hardly warm, but it would still be six degrees warmer than Wednesday's minimum. Windy weather will prevent overnight cooling to freezing levels across virtually the whole of SA in coming days, as a procession of troughs and weak cold fronts surges across southern parts of the state ahead of a strong cold front due Sunday. Image: Predicted rainfall totals across South Australia up until Tuesday, August 11, 2026, according to the ECMWF model. Source: Weatherzone. The South Australian weather story will then be dominated by chilly maximums and low “feels like” temperatures rather than cold minimums. Rainfall will also be a big part of the picture, with Sunday looking particularly wet for Adelaide and many other areas.
04 Aug 2026, 5:29AM UTC
Biggest snowfall of the season likely to develop this weekend
The strongest snowy weather system of the 2026 winter appears likely to arrive towards the end of this coming weekend in the mainland alpine region. The cold front is expected to hit late on Sunday and has the potential to deliver up to half a metre of snow at higher elevations. Long-range models are also currently predicting a significant follow-up system due midweek. Cold, windy conditions are likely to accompany both systems as they surge across southeastern Australia, with persistent showers and even small hail at elevations well below the mountains. Let’s take a quick look at the 2026 Australian snow season to date before moving to the forecasts. 2026: a below-average snow season through June and July Image: Skiers on the High Noon run at Thredbo in mid-July with a snow base heavily augmented by snowmaking and the valley bare of snow. Source: Rusty J. The 2026 season started on a positive note, with a snowfall just before the traditional King’s Birthday long weekend opening in early June. But the month thereafter was largely wet and warm. For just the second time since 1954, when hydro-electric operator Snowy Hydro commenced regular measurements of the winter snowpack at three locations in New South Wales, there was no measurable snow at the start of July at the highest site, Spencers Creek (1830 m), roughly halfway between Perisher and Thredbo. July was colder but also drier, and while at least three snowfalls brought the season to life, none of them were particularly heavy, with the Spencers Creek depth around 70 cm as July turned to August. That was well below the average of around 120 centimetres for that point of the season. But the coming snowfalls have the potential to turn a mediocre season into at least an average one, and possibly even quite a good one by historical standards in terms of peak season depth. First cold front arrives Sunday, August 9 Image: Predicted mean sea level pressure and precipitable water over Australia for 4 pm (AEST) on Sunday, August 9, 2026, according to the ECMWF model. Source: Weatherzone. The image above shows the mean sea level pressure over Australia with precipitable water in the atmosphere predicted for Sunday afternoon. It paints both a good and bad picture for snow. The unstable southwesterly flow arriving over the Australian Alps is the good news, but the concerning part for snow enthusiasts is that the moisture-laden atmosphere will be too warm for snow initially. In other words, expect rain to erode the existing meagre snowpack to a degree before it starts snowing heavily all the way through to at least the middle of Monday. Second cold front arrives around Tuesday 11 August It’s too early to state with confidence how much snow will arrive with this system, or if the season will even materialise over the Australian Alps, however most models currently suggest it could deliver another significant fall. There are even early signs of a third system behind it later next week. As Weatherzone meteorologist Brett Dutschke wrote on the Weatherzone snow page, "All up, the next 10 or so days could bring as much fresh snow as we've received in the previous two months combined." Why have snowy systems finally started to arrive in the last month of winter? While there is always natural variability with weather systems, much of winter 2026 has been marked by a strongly positive Southern Annular Mode (SAM). This means that the band of westerlies, with its snow-producing cold fronts, was further south towards Antarctica than is usual for this time of year. READ MORE: What is the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) and how does it affect Australia? Image: last 12 months of SAM data. Source: BoM. But as the graph above shows, the SAM has recently return to a neutral phase after briefly dipping into negative territory last week, which means an increased likelihood of snow-bearing systems like the ones that are likely to arrive from Sunday onwards.