July 2nd 2024.
The residents of outer Melbourne were greeted with the coldest morning of the year so far. The forecast predicted a minimum temperature of zero degrees, causing many to shiver as they stepped out of their homes. Even in the centre of the city, the mercury struggled to rise above 1 degree, while the western and southwestern suburbs experienced freezing temperatures.
Other parts of Victoria also felt the chill, with places like Horsham, Bendigo, Ballarat, Geelong, and the Mornington Peninsula recording temperatures between –1 and -3 degrees. The cold front even extended to Tasmania, South Australia, and southern Western Australia, where residents woke up to single-digit temperatures and widespread frost. The Bureau of Meteorology warned that these regions would continue to experience low temperatures throughout the day.
In Melbourne, the cold spell is expected to last for the entire week, with mornings at or below 5 degrees. This hasn't happened since June 2013, which was the coldest week in 11 years. The reason for these frigid mornings is a combination of a cold air mass, clear skies, light winds, and a strong high pressure system over southern Australia. These conditions have resulted in new low temperature records being set.
One such record was set near the small town of Liawenee in Tasmania, where a weather station recorded a minimum temperature of -10.8 degrees yesterday morning. This not only made it the coldest place in the country, but it was also the lowest temperature recorded in Australia in the last two years. The high pressure system responsible for these extreme temperatures is expected to persist for the next few mornings, according to forecasters.
Despite the chilly start to the day, residents can take solace in the fact that the weather is expected to warm up as the day progresses. However, they should still be prepared for cold and frosty mornings for the rest of the week. So bundle up, stay warm, and don't forget to grab a hot cup of coffee on your way out!
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