Sydney experienced its warmest winter’s day in eight years on Wednesday, with the temperature at Observation Hill peaking at 27.5C, almost 10C higher than the month’s average maximum temperature.
The warmth came to an abrupt end with thunderstorms in central and northern parts of the state bringing a cool change to eastern New South Wales due to a trough of low pressure from the west.
“Storms are starting to develop because we’re having longer days and warmer days and we’re moving out of winter,” the Bureau of Meteorology’s Jake Phillips said. “It’s an indicator that the season is starting to change.”
Sydney’s record August temperature was 31.3C in 1995 and its average for the month is 17.9C.
Adelaide experienced its warmest winter’s day in 14 years on Tuesday, with the mercury reaching 26.4C.
At the Thredbo ski resort in NSW, the top station temperature is forecast to reach 5C on Thursday, well above its August average of 0.5C.
In Victoria, significantly low snowfalls have brought an early end to the ski season for some resorts, with Mount Stirling, Lake Mountain and Mount Baw Baw all closing on Sunday.
“Overall, the snow coverage hasn’t been good. It’s often getting patchy by this time of year anyway, but it hasn’t been a great season,” Phillips said.
At Mount Buller, only seven of the 19 lifts are in operation.
“Snow cover is limited to the area where we have support of snow making,” Mount Buller spokesperson Rhylla Morgan said.
“August is usually the deepest snow of the season; this year, it is much reduced.”
Scientists say rising atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations are increasing average and maximum temperatures across the planet. Average temperatures in Australia are nearly 1.5C hotter than in 1910.
