Australia weather: ‘WINTER-like’ conditions to follow 47C heatwave

Australia’s east coast is in for a scorching weekend before being battered by severe thunderstorms – with a huge cold front expected to sweep across the country. 

Queensland and northern NSW will experience ‘severe’ conditions with temperatures reaching as high as 47C inland, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

And while the warm temperatures will last throughout the weekend, most parts of the country’s south-east are bracing for wild rain and storms on Saturday.

Heading into next week, the days will start to cool with meteorologists forecasting ‘winter-like conditions’ and temperatures up to 10 degrees less than average for December. 

Sydneysiders will see temperatures rise to 27C on Saturday with storms expected to hit the city in the afternoon.  

As usual, Sydney‘s west will face hotter temperatures than the city and east with temperatures as high as 35C in Penrith and 33C in Liverpool on Friday and Saturday. 

The warm weather will ease up by Tuesday with temperatures dropping in the city to just 23C. 

Meanwhile, for areas in NSW’s north-east, warnings have been issued for severe thunderstorms, damaging winds and large hailstones in Grafton, Taree, Armidale, Tamworth, Moree and Walgett.

‘It could be fire, heat, snow and a cyclone all in one week,’ Sky News Weather Meteorologist Alison Osborne said. 

Further north in Queensland, severe thunderstorm warnings have been issued for Logan, the Gold Coast and Scenic Rim areas. Heavy rain and large hailstones are expected.

Birdsville in central west Queensland is expected to be 47C on Saturday, making it the hottest place in the country. 

Brisbane will see a maximum of 32C on Saturday, before jumping to 33C on Sunday and 34C on Monday.  

The BoM has also warned Queenslanders could be at risk of smoke inhalation as winds carry smoke from Fraser Island bushfires.   

The blazes have torn through 82,000 hectares of World Heritage Listed bushland since they began in mid-October.

Visitors have been barred from the island since November 27 with conservation experts saying the scale of fire damage is a ‘catastrophe’ for the area.

‘Northeasterlies are currently fanning flames with northerlies likely to return Friday. It could bring smoke into the southeast coast area over coming days,’ the warning read.  

While Queensland and NSW swelter through hot temperatures, Melbourne will be comparatively cool. 

The Victorian capital will face showers and a maximum of 26C on Friday, which will drop to 20C on Sunday, 19C on Monday and just 18C on Tuesday. 

Storms are expected in the capital on Saturday. 

Meanwhile, most areas of the state will be hit with severe damaging winds.

Gusts of up to 100km/h will sweep across central, south west and north central areas of the state as well as in west and south Gippsland.

The cold front will start in South Australia and move its way up across the country’s south-east at the beginning of next week.

Damaging winds will be felt across the state on Saturday before temperatures drop to 20C in Adelaide on Sunday and Monday.  

Ms Osborne said temperatures could reach so low that snow could fall in the Alps in Victoria and Tasmania.

The BoM’s Miriam Bradbury meanwhile said it was likely temperatures across south-eastern parts of the country would be up to 10C lower than average.

Moving further south, there is a similar trend in Hobart with a maximum of 22C and increasing rain on Saturday. 

The temperature will drop to 19C on Sunday, 17C on Monday and 18C on Tuesday, with showers steadily dissipating over this time. 

It comes after residents of Mount Wellington in Hobart woke up to summer snow on Wednesday morning from Tuesday night’s blustery cold front.  

Similarly, Canberra will have a maximum of 30C on Saturday before dramatically cooling down to 21C on Sunday and just 19C on Monday. 

Canberrans will also face some chilly starts in the morning with a minimum temperature of 11C on Saturday, which will drop to just 6C by Tuesday. 

Meanwhile on the west Coast, Perth is comparatively mild but will heat up to almost 40C by mid next week. 

The WA capital will have a maximum of 24C on Saturday with cloud clearing, which will see the temperature rise to 27C on Sunday. 

By Monday, the mercury will hit 32C before peaking at 38C with clear and sunny skies on Tuesday and remaining consistent at 37C on Wednesday.  

While the rest of the country kicks off Summer, Darwin in the tropical north is starting its wet season. 

The maximum temperature will be 32C on Saturday, which will increase to 33C on Sunday and remain consistent until Wednesday, when it increases to 34C. 

Showers and possible storms are forecast from Saturday to Wednesday.