Millions of people across southeastern Australia are being warned to expect a new cold snap from the weekend, driven by frigid air dragged from Antarctica.
Th cold front is forecast to sweep across Victoria, southern New South Wales, the ACT, Tasmania and parts of South Australia from Saturday.
A high-pressure system will quickly follow in its path and remain over southern Australia until at least mid-next week, prolonging this cold outbreak.
Temperatures will be two to four degrees below average across multiple states from late this week due to strong winds caused by a low-pressure system in the Tasman Sea.
The resulting wind chill will mean temperatures feeling much colder than the mercury says it is.
The strong winds are expected to take the chilly air as far north as southeastern Queensland later next week.
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Meanwhile, outback regions in SA, NSW and Queensland received heavy rain over the weekend.
In the 24 hours to yesterday morning, falls of 25mm to 99mm were recorded over a big stretch of inland areas, with the town of Menindee in far western NSW recording its wettest July day in 138 years.
The downpour was caused by a cut-off upper-level low-pressure system meeting atmospheric moisture flowing from the east, and the impact of unusually warm sea temperatures.
South Australia recorded generally lighter falls but several spots well north of Adelaide saw 10mm or more.
