Sydney, if you’re not already aware right now: it’s pretty bloody cold.
In the last 24 hours, a polar blast has arrived in town straight from the Southern Ocean, delivering freezing winds, wild weather and the first snowfall of the year to Sydney, NSW and the rest of the country’s southern states.
This brutal cold snap marks the coldest Sydney morning in 2023, and has triggered snow in Bowral and Robertson overnight, whilst also plunging Sydney temperatures, with -1 degree celsius recorded at Mount Boyce in the Blue Mountains.
The Bureau of Meteorology has also issued a hazardous surf warning for the entire Sydney Coast – as well as the Illawarra, Hunter, Byron, Batemans, and Eden Coastlines across New South Wales – with huge swell and rough waters making any coastal activities on Monday, May 8 and Tuesday, May 9 seriously inadvisable.
Additionally, a marine gale warning has been put in place for Sydney’s enclosed waters, while the rest of our city’s coastline has been issued with a strong wind warning.
With waves of a hefty five-metres pummelling Sydney’s beaches, and westerly winds of 33 kilometres per hour recorded at Sydney Observatory Hill, it’s a sure sign that Sydneysiders shouldn’t forget their jumpers and windbreakers today – and that they also probably shouldn’t go for a swim.
Over at Sydney Airport, strong winds have meant the cancelling of over 100 flights across 30 different airlines this morning, with the airport closing two of its runways. Extreme conditions have meant that only one runway is currently in operation. However, it is expected that as the winds ease and change direction this afternoon, things will return to normal.
In the meantime, passengers are being advised to directly contact their airline for on-the-ground updates about their flights.
This wild and woolly weather has arrived in Sydney after travelling up from the Great Australian Bight, with South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria getting hit first with record-breaking cold weather. The polar blast has been pushed along by a deep low pressure system off the coast, however the Bureau of Meteorology have advised that the conditions will ease and warm up on Wednesday and Thursday this week.