Sydney Faces Record-Breaking Early Spring Heat While Snow Falls in Southern New South Wales

Early autumn-like heat is forecast to arrive ahead of schedule across eastern Australia, with Brisbane and Sydney potentially experiencing record-breaking early September temperatures, even as snowfall is anticipated in southern New South Wales.

Sydney’s maximum temperatures in the initial days of September were projected to equal the city’s midsummer average of 26.4°C, marking the warmest start to spring since the Observatory Hill station began recording in 1858.

Sydney suburbs were anticipated to reach temperatures of up to 33°C on Saturday afternoon, exceeding the average September records by as much as 13°C.

Meteorologist Tom Saunders stated that a strong north-westerly airstream originating from the northern interior would push weekend maximum temperatures up to 13°C above the seasonal average.

The most significant temperature anomalies were expected to impact the New South Wales coast.

“For Sydney, this will likely be the hottest day recorded this early in spring, and over the first five days of September, we are on track to average a high of 27°C, matching the midsummer average,” he told ABC News.

“Temperatures this spring are expected to average up to three degrees above the baseline from recent decades, potentially making it the hottest spring on record.”

The warm, dry, and windy conditions were set to cause fire danger levels to spike. A total fire ban was enacted for the greater Sydney region, where extreme fire danger was forecast.

The dramatic and potentially dangerous onset of Australia’s spring extended across much of the continent, bringing damaging winds capable toppling trees and roofs in South Australia, alongside minor to moderate flooding in parts of Victoria and Tasmania.

Meanwhile, in southern NSW, snow was falling over Thredbo in the Snowy Mountains on late Saturday morning.

The Bureau of Meteorology had forecast snowfall to reach the Thredbo top station by 4 PM on Saturday, with daytime temperatures dropping to a low of -1°C.

However, the new snowfall was unlikely to significantly improve the precarious snow cover remaining on Australia’s ski fields following a warm winter.

Weatherzone journalist Anthony Sharwood wrote on Friday: “September snowfalls hold significance when there is a sufficient remnant snowpack from winter for the new snow to bond with. However, the Australian snowpack is at a historic low for the first week of September, even at the highest mountain elevations.”

Across the border, southern Queensland was expected to see temperatures peak in the mid-30s, marking another unseasonably warm start to September.

In South Australia’s Mount Lofty and Flinders ranges, wind gusts reaching up to 110 km/h were possible late Saturday into Sunday morning.

Heavy rainfall was forecast for north-east Victoria and northern Tasmania, with up to 60mm expected in certain areas.

“The catchments in those areas are already saturated,” BoM meteorologist David Crock said on Friday. “They have experienced multiple rounds of flood warnings this winter.”

“Consequently, we have a flood watch currently in effect for these catchments across northern Victoria and parts of northern Tasmania.”

The dramatic start to spring comes against the backdrop of a “supersized” El Niño weather phenomenon east of Australia, which is already breaking heat records and could comfortably surpass previous events.

On Thursday, the UN’s weather agency stated that the event in the Pacific was continuing to strengthen and would likely persist until early 2027, warning it had the “potential to deliver a massive blow to communities and economies across the world.”

El Niño events typically bring hotter and drier conditions to Australia’s south and east during winter and spring, increasing the risk of heatwaves, drought, and bushfires.

Australia’s national council for fire and emergency services stated that fire authorities were predicting a heightened risk of fire across northern and south-eastern NSW, south-east Queensland, north-eastern Tasmania, parts of Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria, and large portions of the Northern Territory.

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