Polar blast brings severe weather warning across Australia

Ferocious winds have battered parts of Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales as a super cell storm makes its way across the country causing flight delays and power outages. 

Severe weather warnings have been issued across the south-east as a large mass of polar air is set to bring a mix of heavy rain, hail, snow and damaging winds across the region over the next few days. 

A number of domestic flights at Sydney and Melbourne airports have been delayed or cancelled due to the wild weather. 

Sydney Airport urged travellers to check the status of their upcoming flights on Friday morning. 

Winds reaching 120km/h swept through Victoria overnight, with heavy rain and even snow expected to fall. 

The State Emergency Service had 157 calls for help across Victoria between 6am Thursday and 6am Friday, the majority for fallen trees and a few calls for building damage. 

A large mass of polar air is set to bring a mix of heavy rain, hail, snow and damaging winds across Australia’s south-east over the next few days

Parts of South Australia and Victoria have already been hit with damaging winds and heavy rains

Parts of South Australia and Victoria have already been hit with damaging winds and heavy rains 

About 4,000 properties were left without power as damaging winds and rain swept across South Australia on Thursday night

About 4,000 properties were left without power as damaging winds and rain swept across South Australia on Thursday night

A number of domestic flights at Sydney and Melbourne airports have been delayed or cancelled due to the wild weather. Pictured: view from tarmac in Adelaide

A number of domestic flights at Sydney and Melbourne airports have been delayed or cancelled due to the wild weather. Pictured: view from tarmac in Adelaide 

Melbourne’s southeastern suburbs and Mornington Peninsula are getting the worst of the winds as Friday morning stretches on, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

It follows winds reaching 120km/h at Cape Otway in the state’s west about 5am on Friday.

Winds are expected to ease in the Melbourne area from about 9am when the rain is expected to hit the city.

A severe weather warning remains in place for the damaging winds for most of the state.

‘A low pressure system tracking rapidly eastwards across Bass Strait will reach the Tasman Sea this morning,’ the warning reads.

Blizzard conditions are expected across alpine areas on Friday, with snow expected above 500m and flurries possible for the Dandenong Ranges.

Icy temperatures are also set to continue across the state, with Melbourne headed for a top of 11C but strong winds will make it feel much colder.

Severe weather warnings have been issued across the country's east and south-east coast

Severe weather warnings have been issued across the country’s east and south-east coast

Dual cold fronts are forecast to move across the eastern and southern parts of the country bringing damaging winds and plunging temperatures from Thursday

Dual cold fronts are forecast to move across the eastern and southern parts of the country bringing damaging winds and plunging temperatures from Thursday

Elsewhere across Victoria, Ballarat is forecast to reach just 7C and Mount Dandenong 4C.   

‘Unfortunately it’s (expected to be worst) around the morning peak,’ Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Michael Efron said, with the strongest gusts expected over a four-hour period from about 5am.

‘Conditions will be quite hazardous during the morning with those strong winds.’

Gusts of up to 130km/h are also forecast for Victoria’s southwest coast for early on Friday.

‘It doesn’t really improve across the weekend,’ Mr Efron said, with Melbourne set to hit just 11C again on Saturday, Ballarat 7C and Bendigo 10C. 

Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp said it’s expected to get ‘an awful lot colder.’

‘We’re not used to getting those gusts very often in Melbourne, so it’s going to have an impact and we need to pay attention to that,’ he said. 

Parts of South Australia have recorded wind gusts of over 100km/h causing dust storms and power outages. 

About 4,000 properties were left without power as damaging winds and rain swept across the state on Thursday night.     

 

The blast of cold air from Antarctica via the Southern Ocean has prompted several days’ worth of weather warnings for Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania and the ACT. 

The colder climate is expected to linger across Victoria and South Australia for another week before the mercury begins to rise, Weatherzone meteorologist Jacob Cronje said. 

Melbournians will need their umbrellas and winter woollies if heading outside this weekend

Melbournians will need their umbrellas and winter woollies if heading outside this weekend

Freezing temperatures, blizzards and rain are expected thanks to a blast of cold air surging from Antarctica via the Southern Ocean

Freezing temperatures, blizzards and rain are expected thanks to a blast of cold air surging from Antarctica via the Southern Ocean 

Gusts of up to 110km/h are expected from late Thursday, with Victoria’s Alpine region in for dangerous blizzard conditions with wind speeds reaching 120km/h.

Snow in the region could fall as low as 500m above sea level by Friday morning. 

Canberra’s peaks might get some snow, along with the regional centre of Armidale.

Blustery winds are expected to extend up through NSW right across the weekend, with widespread damaging winds across Sydney, Wollongong and parts of the east coast.

Gusts of up to 90 km/h, are possible with showers and thunderstorms during Friday morning about the Riverina, with a second threat during the afternoon and evening about the Lower Western and Riverina districts and then parts of the South West Slopes during early Friday morning. 

This map shows the massive cold air mass heading towards Australia from the Southern Ocean

As the low-pressure system passes through the state temperatures are also set to plummet. 

Mr Cronje said that while Saturday will be the coldest day for those in Sydney, Friday will feel even colder due to the strong gusts of wind. 

‘This is probably the coldest spell expected for this season,’ Mr Cronje said.

However, Sydneysiders will be pleased as the system should begin to clear by Tuesday next week. 

Tasmanians will also feel the brunt of the massive cold front. Pictured is Cradle Mountain

Tasmanians will also feel the brunt of the massive cold front. Pictured is Cradle Mountain

Mr Cronje said mornings will likely bring heavy fog in the city but that should clear by midday and temperatures should become mild to warm.

Similar chilly conditions are forecast for Adelaide and Hobart when the cold snap over the weekend.

Queenslanders and those in the north will escape the cold blast , with temperatures expected to sit around 25 degrees in Brisbane.

However, windy and dry conditions in Queensland will lead to increasing fire dangers in the south. 

In the wake of the cold front, a dry and cooler air mass will become established across much of the state with fine and sunny conditions likely late in the week and into the weekend. 

Another cold front will move across the south over the weekend, introducing an even colder airmass, and the possibility of showers over the far southeast, potentially falling as sleet or snow over the higher terrain of the Granite Belt.

WEATHER FORECAST IN YOUR CITY

Sydney          

Friday: Min: 11°C, Max: 18°C

Saturday: Min: 9°C, Max: 18°C

Sunday: Min: 8°C, Max: 16°C

Monday: Min: 8°C, Max: 18°C 

Melbourne           

Friday: Min: 7°C, Max: 12°C

Saturday: Min: 6°C, Max: 12°C

Sunday: Min: 5°C, Max: 13°C 

Monday: Min: 7°C, Max: 13°C 

Brisbane     

Friday: Min: 13°C, Max: 24°C

Saturday: Min: 11°C, Max: 23°C

Sunday: Min: 9°C, Max: 21°C 

Monday: Min: 8°C, Max 22°C 

Darwin        

Friday: Min: 20°C, Max: 32°C

Saturday: Min: 19°C, Max: 32°C

Sunday: Min: 20°C, Max: 32°C 

Monday: Min: 19°C, Max: 32°C 

Hobart        

Friday: Min: 3°C, Max: 11°C

Saturday: Min: 4°C, Max: 10°C

Sunday: Min: 4°C, Max: 11°C 

Monday: Min: 5°C, Max: 10 °C 

Perth      

Friday: Min: 7°C, Max: 19°C

Saturday: Min: 8°C, Max: 20°C

Sunday: Min: 8°C, Max: 20°C 

Monday: Min: 10°C, Max: 23°C 

Adelaide        

Friday: Min: 9°C, Max: 13°C

Saturday:  Min: 9°C, Max: 14°C

Sunday: Min: 8°C, Max: 13°C 

Monday: Min: 6°C, Max: 14°C

Canberra       

Friday: Min: 0°C, Max: 8°C

Saturday: Min: -1°C, Max: 9°C

Sunday: Min: -1°C, Max: 11°C 

Monday: Min: -2°C, Max: 10°C 

Source: Bureau of Meteorology Australia

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk