There are dramatic temperature contrasts between Australia's two largest and most populous cities on Tuesday afternoon.

• At 1:10 pm as we started writing this story, Melbourne was sitting on just 14.3°C, while Sydney was basking in an unseasonably warm 29.0°C.
• Another way of looking at the difference is that Melbourne was close to its average max temp in the coldest month (July, 13.5°C), while Sydney was considerably warmer than the average max temp in the warmest month (January 26.0°C).

For Melbourne, this definitely looks like being the coldest day of the year to date. The city's lowest maximum so far in 2022 of 17.5°C was recorded yesterday.

Today's Melbourne temp reached 15.8°C just before midday, but it has dropped by nearly two degrees since then, so it seems fairly safe to say that this will be the city’s chilliest day of the year to date.

Up in Sydney, temperatures were uniform across the city, with readings of 29°C or slightly higher from the outer west to the CBD.

Sydney's warmest day of the year to date so far was 31.9°C on February 22. To get within three degrees of the year's hottest temperature to date as late as April 19 is quite remarkable.

So why the contrast?

"A low-pressure system continues to affect Melbourne today with cloud cover and rainfall," Weatherzone meteorologist Yoska Hernandez explains.

"Today will likely be the coldest day of the fortnight, with brisk winds making it feel about 2-3 degrees cooler than actual."

You can see that 2-3 degree differential in the latest Melbourne observations, which you can view on our site here. For example, when it was 14.3°C at 1:10 pm, the "feels like" temp (technically known as the apparent temp) was just 11.7°C.

Meanwhile locals seem to be divided as to whether they're enjoying the early taste of winter or not.

Melbourne this weather sucks

— Billy Davis (@yungbillydavis) April 18, 2022

Loving this rainy cold weather in melbourne

— Fhey⁷ 🧈 💜 ♡♡♡ 220610 BTS IS BACK (@shookyoongix) April 19, 2022

Melbourne's cool temps are not done with yet. Further cloud cover and light showers can be expected in southern Victoria with the passage of a weak cold front and a trough tomorrow and into Thursday.

Settled but relatively cool conditions will then prevail, with daytime temperatures remaining below 20°C until at least this coming Sunday.

As for Sydney, maximum temps will also drop in coming days, as the warm northwesterly winds currently heating up the city move offshore, replaced by winds with a southerly component. A top of 24°C is predicted for Wednesday with max temps in the low twenties for the rest of the week.

If you're dreading the return of yet more showery weather in Sydney, we have moderately bad news for you. After just a light shower or two on Wednesday, showers should be pretty persistent for the rest of the week – although nothing as heavy as the recent deluges is expected.