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A cold front crossing Tasman Sea, bringing showers, strong winds, falling as snow over Tas highlands. Moist winds generating showers over coastal Qld. High pressure elsewhere is bringing largely clear and settled conditions.
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Today, 1:01AM UTC
Mercury plummets below zero in all states and territories except the NT
Sub-zero minimum temperatures were recorded in seven of the eight Australian states and territories overnight, with only the Northern Territory failing to record a freezing temperature. On Wednesday morning, the coldest reading for each state and territory was: NT: Alice Springs 3.2°C SA: Yunta -0.9°C Qld: Applethorpe -1.1°C TAS: kunanyi/Mt Wellington -1.5°C WA: Newdegate -1.5°C ACT: Tuggeranong -2.8°C VIC: Mt Hotham -3.1°C NSW: Thredbo Top Station -6.5°C What caused the widespread overnight chill? These were not exceptional or record-threatening temperatures for midwinter, but they were still well below average in many locations. For example, Newdegate in Western Australia’s Great Southern region – which fell to -1.5°C overnight – has an average July minimum of 4.4°C and a record July low of -3.8°C. Thredbo Top Station – which recorded Australia’s lowest reading of -6.5°C overnight – has an average July minimum of -5.1°C and a record low of -13.5°C. Minimums were cooler than average across a broad area of the country due to: Calm, clear, conditions caused by a strong high pressure system centred over southern SA A cold dry airmass lingering in the wake of a series of cold fronts which have now moved well out into the Tasman Sea Will the cold nights continue this week? The alpine region of NSW and Victoria can expect a string of nights well below zero lasting all the way through to the end of the week. That’s good for the snowmakers at the ski resorts. READ MORE: How does snowmaking actually work? But many other locations in the southern half of Australia might just have shivered through the week’s chilliest morning. We wrote yesterday about the impending period of very heavy rain likely in northern NSW, while several days of showers can be expected between Thursday and Monday for the stretch of the east coast from at least Sydney to Brisbane. While this rainfall event will be very much confined to the coast and adjacent ranges, the moist easterly flow will push a fair way inland, increasing the relative humidity which in turn will prevent the mercury from dropping too far overnight. Image: Predicted mean sea level pressure and precipitable water at 4 am on Thursday, July 16, 2026. Source: Weatherzone. The map above shows precipitable water in the atmosphere and the predicted position of the high centred over South Australia on Thursday morning. Winds circulating anti-clockwise around the high will push maritime air to inland regions, even though rain is only expected near the east coast. Meanwhile in Western Australia, a cold front approaches the southwest. While it will introduce a cooler, moister airmass, minimums should generally be warmer than they have been in recent days at many locations due to the cloud and extra humidity.
14 Jul 2026, 7:50AM UTC
Multi-day deluge looming for northern NSW
A multi-day midwinter heavy rainfall event is looking increasingly likely for the North Coast of New South Wales and immediately adjacent areas, including just over the Queensland border. According to Weatherzone meteorologist Joel Pippard, four-day totals of 100-200mm are expected from Thursday through to next Monday, with isolated totals around 250mm, along a strip of coastline stretching roughly from Coffs Harbour to the Gold Coast. Falls should be heaviest along the northernmost reaches of the NSW coastline as the event kicks off on Thursday, with 24-hour totals of 60-120mm expected in the area around Lismore and Grafton from Thursday afternoon to Friday morning. Equally heavy totals could be recorded on Sunday around Coffs Harbour and the nearby Dorrigo Plateau. What will cause the heavy rain? The first ingredient for this impending spell of wet weather is a flow of moist air pushing onshore from the Tasman Sea, circulating around a high which will be centred over inland parts of southeastern Australia. The available moisture will be enhanced by sea surface temperatures in the Tasman Sea which are around 1°C higher than usual for this time of year away from the immediate coastal strip. Image: Forecast synoptic chart for Thursday, July 16, 2026. Source: Weatherzone. According to Joel Pippard, a coastal trough supported by an upper trough and offshore low will then develop from Thursday. This set-up will fuel the heavy rainfall over the Northern Rivers and the northern part of the Mid North Coast. Flood risk enhanced by high tides Image: Predicted 7-day total precipitation for the NSW North Coast and nearby areas up until July 21, 2026, according to the ECMWF model. Source: Weatherzone. “Significant wave heights of 3.5-4.0 metres are expected along the northern coast of NSW,” Joel Pippard says. “Tides will also be elevated, and since Thursday is the Highest Astronomical Tide (HAT or Spring Tide) of the year, high tide will still be quite high by the weekend, and contribute to the potential flood risk in tidal parts of rivers.” Please check the Weatherzone warnings page for the latest weather and flood warnings and the NSW SES for up-to-date flood information. Image: Predicted mean sea level pressure and precipitable water for SE Australia on Thursday, July 16, 2026. Source: Weatherzone. Will the heavy rain reach Sydney or Brisbane? The most severe weather from this system is expected to occur along the sections of NSW coastline and adjacent ranges already mentioned. While the Gold Coast could see heavy rainfall with potential flooding, Brisbane is only expecting showers from Thursday through to Monday, with no persistent heavy rainfall forecast. Like Brisbane, Sydney can expect a showery spell lasting four or five days, however it should also miss the heaviest rain in what is expected to be a fairly localised intense weather event. Image: 28-day rainfall calendar for Coffs Harbour, NSW, on the Weatherzone app.
14 Jul 2026, 1:09AM UTC
Snow falls to low levels in Tasmania
Heavy snow has fallen across Tasmania, with light snow falling to levels as low as 600 metres, while snowfall totals likely exceeded 20 centimetres at some locations above about 1000 metres. Tasmania’s highest peak is Mt Ossa at 1617 metres, the iconic Cradle Mountain is 1545 m, while kunanyi/Mt Wellington towers above Hobart at 1271 metres. So any time snow falls to 600 metres, a good proportion of the state will have a coating of white. This was the scene at Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre on Tuesday morning. Image: Footsteps in the snow at Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre, Tasmania, on July 14, 2026. Source: Mike Pole. And this was the very wintry scene high on kunanyi/Mt Wellington above Hobart just after 10 am. At that time, the Pinnacle Road to the summit was closed at The Springs, at an elevation of 720 metres. Image: No footsteps in the snow yet at the kunanyi/Mt Wellington summit due to the closed road. Source: hobartcity.com.au. What caused the heavy snowfall? A series of troughs embedded in a persistent westerly stream crossed Tasmania overnight, bringing frequent bands of moisture accompanied by frigid air which was driven north from latitudes near Antarctica. Image: 12-hour satellite and radar loop over Tasmania and nearby mainland areas to 4 am on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. Source: Weatherzone. Hobart received 19.4 mm of rainfall overnight, which made it the city’s second-wettest day of the year to date, while numerous Tasmanian locations received rainfall totals in the 25 to 50 mm range. Tasmania’s only commercial ski resort – Ben Lomond near Launceston – reported only 4-5 centimetres of fresh snow overnight, however its location in the northeast of the state is not always conducive to heavy falls from westerly weather systems. Good and bad news for the mainland snowfields The image below illustrates how the airmass that passed across Tasmania overnight was significantly colder than the airmass over the ski resorts of Victoria and New South Wales on the southeastern corner of the mainland. Image: 850 hPa temperatures and mean sea level pressure over southern Australia and nearby waters at 1 am (AEST) on July 14, 2026. Source: Weatherzone. Overnight, snow fell only on the uppermost slopes of the mainland resorts. At lower levels, rain fell. Ever since a cold front arrived late on Saturday, ushering in a four-day flow of strong westerly winds and persistent moisture over the Australian Alps, there have been two distinct bursts of snowfall with two periods of rain at all but the highest elevations. The higher resorts have still benefited from this system. At least 25 centimetres of snow has fallen at both Perisher and Thredbo, and while rain has eroded some of the snowpack, locals are still saying there has been a net gain overall. As we head towards lunchtime this Tuesday, snow showers are again falling at the ski resorts, with temperatures having dipped ever so slightly. For example, Thredbo Top Station (Australia’s highest weather station) hovered around -0.1°C overnight, which was marginal for snow. But the mercury had dropped to -0.5°C at 9:30 am and was the same temperature at 10:30 am, as the very tip of the cold air over Tasmania pushed northwards. Please check the Weatherzone snow page for the latest forecasts, live snow cams and more. Meanwhile, Canberra and Hobart will be the coldest capitals today, with maximums of 11°C expected. With those persistent westerlies, the apparent or "feels like" temperature will barely break 5°C all day in both cities.