Cold Snap Strikes Australia Sends Temperature Plummeting Below Freezing Point and Hail Storm

Australia has woke up to the coldest mornings of the year so far.

A cold snap has sent temperatures to go down below freezing point in Melbourne for up to -0.5 degrees Celsius in Box Hill and Nunawading. While hailstones the size of golf balls dropped in Perth and Sydney's and CBD saw rain in the morning.

There was also a fog warning declared in Victoria urging drivers to drive carefully and to keep their headlights on due to heavy mist and poor visibility on Monday morning.

The Bureau of Meteorology warned on Monday that "temperatures at ground level can be many degrees lower than those recorded by standard weather stations, especially in calm conditions with clear skies."

Widespread Frost Felt in Australia

Many parts of Australia are now experiencing the effects of the cold snap, which brought widespread frost to the country.

Presently, the warmest temperature recorded is in Dandenong Ranges, where temperatures reached 5.1 degrees Celsius in Sassafras while Melbourne is forecast to reach 15 degrees Celsius this afternoon when the fog dissipates, and the sun finally comes out.

Moreover, widespread frost was also reported all over the state due to the high-pressure system with the North East district experiencing a severe frost.

Areas in the Mallee, Wimmera, Northern Country, North Central, North East, South West, Central, West, South Gippsland, and East Gippsland districts have issued a warning about the frost.

Dams are expected to be iced over, especially in northern parts of the state, due to the Antarctic blast on Sunday with a drop in temperature to -4 degrees Celsius.

But as winds increase ahead of a front, mornings are expected to get warm starting on Tuesday, bringing the temperatures closer to the June average.

Cold Snaps Cause Cold Mornings

A high-pressure system centered directly over central Victoria, clearing skies, and no wind, make the perfect ingredients for a cold morning.

Moreover, there is a 70% chance of showers along the east coast, most likely to happen in the morning and early afternoon. The east of Sydney and CBD has experienced heavy rain at 7 am on Monday, and skies only cleared by 8:30 am.

The rest of Monday will be partly cloudy, with temperatures ranging from nine degrees Celsius to 17 degrees Celsius. Additionally, there will be a 40% chance that the state will have rain later.

Due to a cold front, Western Australia will experience more rain, hail, lightning, and gusty winds. Like the one recorded in Bunbury with a speed of 95 kilometers per hour and Perth having a 36-millimeter rain.

Furthermore, sheep graziers, with cold temperatures, showers, and westerly winds are expected on Monday. The South West, South Coastal, and Great Southern forecast districts and parts of the Lower West and Central Wheat Belt forecast districts are affected by these weather conditions.

Meanwhile, Canberra also had a frosty morning with temperatures plummeting to -2 degrees Celsius before expecting to claim to 13 degrees Celsius today.

But on Adelaide, the weather is expected to be sunny with a temperature from 6 to 15 degrees Celsius as the north to northeasterly winds will become light in the late afternoon. Hobart will also be sunny today before heavy fog sets in the area.

Drivers are warned to be careful while driving in the icy streets of the Central North, Central Plateau, Midlands, and Upper Derwent Valley.