Millions to shiver through coldest nights of 2026 as cold snap hits southeastern Australia, temperatures plunge

Millions of Australians are about to be hit with near-freezing temperatures and some of the coldest nights of the year on record. A huge cold front will blast its way up southeastern parts of Australia this weekend seeing temperatures drop to near or below freezing, Weatherzone reports. Meteorologist Anthony Sharwood warned Thredbo could record the coldest temperature in the nation and is expected to drop to a low of -5C on Saturday morning. The Victorian alpine region is also expected to reach minimums below freezing. Melbourne will kickstart the weekend with a brisk 5C morning while southeast parts of South Australia and Canberra will freeze through a frosty morning with 0C forecast. While most of the nation will be dry and sunny across the weekend, some wet weather will hit the tropical north, parts of inland Queensland and Western Australia. Flood warnings are in place for Birdsville, Roseberth Station and Glengyle with showers and thunderstorms forecast across the Eyre Creek and upper parts of the Diamantina River catchments in western Queensland. Gale force winds are expected to hit southern parts of Western Australia across the Leeuwin and Albany coast on Friday with strong winds travelling further north to Perth. Rain is expected to fall in Perth overnight but should clear by Saturday morning and push its way north to Geraldton by the afternoon. BOM meteorologist Angus Hines said there was a chance of showers and thunderstorms across the northwest and northern parts of the country. “So Darwin right through to the east coast and down to about Tenant Creek,” he said. “We are still in the midst of those wet season conditions which have been coming and going this week. “We might see a little bit of rainfall across the northern parts of the Kimberley, but it should be dry elsewhere.”