Brett Dutschke, 29 Mar 2015, 2:56 AM UTC
Victoria thawing out
Like a large area of southeastern Australia, Victoria has been been experiencing a chilly run, as much as four-to-ten degrees below average but is now thawing out.
On the weekend, nights and early mornings have been the standout due to clearer skies and light winds, allowing frost to develop over parts of the inland.
Many places, including Melbourne and Shepparton have had their coldest March night in seven years. Avalon and Mangalore have had their coldest March night in 10 years, dipping to 5.9 and 4.1 degrees respectively on Saturday night.
This recent chill together with a cold spell in the middle of the month has helped this to become the coldest start to autumn in more than a decade in some areas.
Bulleen, in Melbourne's north, is having its coldest start to autumn in at least 16 years, running about one-and-a-half degrees below average in terms of both overnight and daytime temperatures.
Warracknabeal in the Wimmera, is having its coldest start to autumn in 18 years, running almost two degrees below average.
The state is starting to warm, albeit only slowly, with Melbourne just nudging above 20 degrees on Sunday afternoon for the Cricket World Cup Final.
Warming will be more significant during the week with nearly all of the state progressively warming each night and day through to Wednesday, to as much as four-to-seven degrees above average. Melbourne and other parts of the state should give 30 degrees a nudge.
A high pressure system in the wake of two strong cold fronts is finally shifting east to the Tasman Sea, causing wind to turn more northerly, leading to an 'Indian Summer' and a chance to thaw out.
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