Cold winds and strong storms affecting Southeast Australia are expected to continue for the next two days and experts warn that there will be more ice conditions.
The Meteorological Bureau said the cold polar front, which caused the temperature to drop and harmful winds in four states, has now moved to shore.
However, the south-east of the country will experience “a very cold, windy mass of air” over the next 24 to 48 hours.
Cold weather and bad winds hit the Melbourne Docklands. (Eddie Jim)
“Temperatures have dropped significantly with the front as cold air rises from the south of the country,” the office said.
“Strong winds have made the temperature much lower.”
The office warned that harmful winds could briefly ease on Thursday, but another polar explosion is forecast for the southeast over the weekend.
“While this system will provide more cold and snow conditions, there will not be as much wind,” the office added.
Snowfall in the lower areas in three states
Snowfall is also expected to fall in the suburbs up to 600 meters above sea level.
“The coldest air will move through the southeastern regions during Tuesday afternoon and evening, with snowfall dropping to 600-800 m NSW, Vic and Tas,” the office said.
The new and intense snowfall means that the 2022 ski season has started strongly.
Heavy snowfall in the alpine regions of Victoria. (9 News)
The office said there were reports of 15 to 20 centimeters of snow at the alpine resorts with more snow and storms expected in the coming days.
Rhylla Morgan of Buller Ski Lifts said the fresh snowfall at Victoria’s Mt Buller today is “absolutely magical”.
Australia’s ski communities have struggled for the past two years with roadblocks and travel bans, and are waiting for the 2022 season to be reborn.
“There’s a lot of excitement here in the mountain community,” Morgan said.
Mt Buller is already seeing strong reservations. (9 News)
“It will be a great season, we hope.
“This is a great way to start.”
Reservations have been strong before the opening of the slopes, and reservations have already been made until September.
Heavy snow has also fallen in Perisher, NSW. (Vail Resorts)
Perisher Valley in NSW has seen 20 inches of snow since last night, and the falls continue this morning.
A drop of more than 70 cm is expected next week, before the opening of the ski season on June 11.
Thousands of people without electricity, trees felled
Thousands of people have been left without electricity today and trees have been cut down after heavy storms ravaged New South Wales and southern Queensland overnight.
Some 5,500 people on the Gold Coast and Queensland Hinterlands have been cut off from the grid this morning, while strong winds of more than 60 km / h have been recorded.
Arriving flights are being delayed, canceled and merged at Brisbane Airport due to conditions.
However, no delays have been reported on departure flights.
The SES answered at least 500 calls across NSW, while the storm system left 18,000 homes without electricity, 14,000 of them still without the lights on until this morning.
The storm, with winds of up to 120 km / h, has hit the metropolitan city of Sydney, north to Newcastle and even Armidale, as well as Darling Downs in Queensland.
The trees were felled by the force of the wind. (9 News)
During the night, a tree fell on a Mercedes parked in Sydney’s Double Bay, leaving residents in shock.
“It looked like a tornado, you saw the storm coming and it literally broke the gardens in three minutes at most,” a resident told 9News.
“You heard that huge crack. Yeah, it was pretty scary.”
Villages cut by the waters for the second time this year