South-east Australia basks in record temperatures but polar blast coming
South-east Australia experienced record-breaking May temperatures, with cities like Hobart and Adelaide reaching their highest May readings in over a century. A prolonged blocking high pressure system has prevented cold fronts from moving in, allowing tropical air to push south. However, a strong polar air mass is expected to bring a sharp drop in temperatures, storms, and potential snowfall across the region midweek.
- ▪Hobart recorded 26.9°C, its highest May temperature since records began in 1894.
- ▪A blocking high in the Tasman Sea has stalled cold fronts for nearly two weeks, leading to unseasonable warmth.
- ▪A polar air blast is forecast to arrive by Wednesday night, potentially bringing snow to low elevations and temperatures up to 15°C below average.
- ▪Showers and storms are expected to move from South Australia eastward, with up to 50mm of rain in parts of the Alps and northern Tasmania.
- ▪The incoming cold front could rival mid-winter systems, with snow possibly reaching elevations below the Alps and into central New South Wales.
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Australia's south-east basks in record May temperatures, but polar weather blast days awayBy ABC meteorologist Tom SaundersTopic:Weather Forecasts8m ago8 minutes agoFri 1 May 2026 at 9:33pmTemperatures on Friday shattered May records in several south-eastern states. (Supplied: Insta Ray)abc.net.au/news/record-may-temperatures-southeast-australia-polar-blast-weather/106631782Link copiedShareShare articleJust weeks from winter, and south-east Australia is still basking in summertime warmth.Temperatures on Friday soared more than 10 degrees Celsius above average from northern South Australia to southern Tasmania, shattering May records in several states.But after weeks of stagnant weather, volatility is about to return.
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