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Polar blast sends shivers across southeast Australia

A cold front sweeping over southeastern Australia is bringing an icy polar blast and chilly nights in several states and territories.

The animation below shows the forecast temperatures at 850 hPa (approximately 1,500 metres above the surface) easily dropping between -2°C to -4°C above southeastern Australia, including the capital cities. These temperatures aloft translate to near sea-level air temperatures in the low-teens.

Video: Forecast 850 hPa temperatures over southeastern Australia between 10pm June 23 and 10pm June 26, 2025.

Strong west-to-southwest winds brought by a powerful cold front, along with cooling showers, will emphasise the cold and make it feel between 3 to 7 degrees colder than actual temperature over the next coupe of days. The coldest day of the spell is expected today for Victoria and southern NSW, and tomorrow for eastern parts of the country.

Chilly mornings will take hold into the weekend as this polar airmass slowly dissipates and high pressure brings clearer skies and lighter winds.

Image: Forecast minimum temperatures across southeastern Australia on Thursday, June 26, 2025.

With all this in mind, here's the forecast for southeastern Australia's capital cities:

Melbourne

A maximum of 11°C is predicted on Wednesday but feeling no warmer than about 6-7°C all day, with gusty winds and showers. As daytime temperatures gradually warm from Thursday, overnight temperatures are expected to drop to between 4 and 6°C for a more extensive period, possibly until Wednesday or Thursday next week.

Image: Daily Forecast on the Weatherzone app for Melbourne, Victoria. 

Adelaide

Tuesday’s maximum of 13.6°C was the city's coldest day of the week, with forecasts of 15°C for Wednesday and Thursday expected. However, the wind chill will make it feel no warmer than about 12-13°C, with a few showers lingering into the early afternoon on Wednesday. Colder mornings will also follow, particularly between Saturday and mid-next week with a run of minima dropping to 5-6°C.

Hobart

A brief cool day reaching 10°C with showers and possible thunderstorms on Wednesday, with milder days from Thursday. Overnight temperatures dropping to about 4°C on Thursday morning, with another run of colder nights from early next week as cloud cover parts over the Apple Isle.

Canberra

Wednesday will be cold, wet and windy with the mercury only reaching about 8°C, but feeling no warmer than 2-3°C throughout most of the day. Conditions improve on Thursday with a maximum of 10°C (feeling about 4 degrees colder with the wind chill) and periods of sunshine.

Overnight temperatures will plummet, with areas of frost expected between Thursday and the weekend. Minimum temperatures between -3 and -5°C are forecast until the end of June, which solidify Canberra’s chances of registering its coldest average monthly minimum temperature on record for June.

Sydney

Wednesday and Thursday will remain mostly sunny in the harbour city, but the respective 18 and 16°C forecast maximums are misleading, with strong westerly winds making it feel about 4-5°C colder than actual temperatures. Overnight temperatures will drop to around 8°C on Thursday and Friday under clear and dry conditions, but this won't be as cold as the 8 consecutive nights dropping at or below 8°C from June 16 to 23.

You can keep track of the latest forecasts and warnings here at: https://www.weatherzone.com.au/warnings