Australians are facing the coldest day of 2021 as icy temperatures sweep through the southern states

Parts of Australia are shivering through their coldest day of the year as a cold front bringing an ‘Antarctic blast’ sweeps across the country’s southeast.

The cold front moved in over Tasmania, Victoria and South Australia on Saturday, bringing icy conditions, low-level snow, heavy swells and the first frost of the year.

Melbourne on Sunday woke to its coldest morning since October 20 last year according to the Bureau of Meteorology, with the mercury dipping to 8.3C. 

The Victorian capital is only expected to reach a high of 15C on Sunday, while Hobart will peak at 13C, making it the coldest day of the year so far for both cities. 

‘Temperatures are four to eight degrees below average for this time of the year,’ Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Jackson Browne told Daily Mail Australia.

This image from the Bureau of Meteorology shows the cold front sweeping across parts of southeast Australia, dropping temperatures below 10C

An image posted to social media on Sunday from Cradle Mountain, Tasmania with the caption 'We woke to the most beautiful winter wonderland this morning'

An image posted to social media on Sunday from Cradle Mountain, Tasmania with the caption ‘We woke to the most beautiful winter wonderland this morning’

The temperature has dropped significantly in recent days, with Melbourne having recorded a high of 29C on Thursday.    

Tasmania is bearing the brunt of what the BOM described as an ‘Antarctic blast’, with a low of 6C in Hobart on Sunday morning feeling more like zero and snow falling to around 700metres in the state.  

Images posted to social media on Sunday morning from Tasmania’s Cradle Mountain showed trees and cars blanketed in snow.     

Residents in South Australia’s coastal communities have been warned of an ‘extraordinary increase in wave heights’ reaching 10 metres, making surf conditions hazardous.   

‘We would expect swells of this magnitude only once a year, normally in winter,’ BOM said. 

Tasmania is not being spared either by the wild waves, with swells not seen since July 2011 smashing the state’s west coast.

Tasmania's Cradle Mountain (pictured) was turned into a Winter wonderland over the weekend as a cold front swept across Australia's southeast

Tasmania’s Cradle Mountain (pictured) was turned into a Winter wonderland over the weekend as a cold front swept across Australia’s southeast 

The Bureau of Meteorology warned of low-level snow, enormous coastal swells and the first frost of the year as the cold front moves across southeast Australia

The Bureau of Meteorology warned of low-level snow, enormous coastal swells and the first frost of the year as the cold front moves across southeast Australia

‘If you were on the west coast (Saturday) night you would’ve seen some pretty amazing waves. The wave buoy at Cape Sorell reported 9.2 metres with a maximum wave height of 16.6 metres and a peak wave period of 22.2 seconds,’ BOM said. 

Across Victoria, snow down to 900 metres is tipped, with places including Mt Buller and Mt Baw Baw likely to see snow.

Canberra will hit a low of 0C on Monday morning with patches of morning frost and just 1C on Tuesday morning. 

‘Cool temperatures were observed across ACT (Sunday) morning. It will be cooler and patches of morning frost are expected on Monday and Tuesday,’ BOM said.  

But in other parts of Australia, communities are bracing for a tropical cyclone. 

Communities in Western Australia’s midwest have been urged to evacuate before the arrival of Tropical Cyclone Seroja, which is set to bring gale-force winds, heavy rain and storm tides as it reaches land.

A snowy Cradle Mountain in Tasmania on Sunday morning as an 'Antarctic blast' hit the state

A snowy Cradle Mountain in Tasmania on Sunday morning as an ‘Antarctic blast’ hit the state

Melbourne on Sunday experienced its coldest morning since October 20 last year, with a shower or two forecast for the rest of Sunday and on Monday (file image)

Melbourne on Sunday experienced its coldest morning since October 20 last year, with a shower or two forecast for the rest of Sunday and on Monday (file image) 

Seroja is forecast to make landfall on Sunday afternoon as a Category 2 cyclone, packing destructive winds with gusts of up to 150km/h at its centre as it hits the coast.

The area between Geraldton and Denham is most at risk from the cyclone’s destructive wind gusts and flooding, the Bureau of Meteorology said in a warning on Saturday night.

‘Seroja will be moving fast, so weather conditions will deteriorate rapidly as it approaches,’ BOM said.

Some residents in Denham have already been ordered to evacuate as the cyclone is expected to bring a storm surge, which is a high tide that will potentially inundate homes in the town.

People who live in the yellow warning zone area between Carnarvon and Kalbarri have been told to go to their nearest evacuation centre or to stay with family or friends.

They have been told to pack medicines, clothes, important documents and pet supplies, and place items up high to avoid water damage.

Communities in Western Australia's midwest have been urged to evacuate before the arrival of Tropical Cyclone Seroja

Communities in Western Australia’s midwest have been urged to evacuate before the arrival of Tropical Cyclone Seroja

Tropical Cyclone Seroja is forecast to make landfall on Sunday afternoon as a Category 2 cyclone

Tropical Cyclone Seroja is forecast to make landfall on Sunday afternoon as a Category 2 cyclone

The yellow warning zone does not include the townships of Carnarvon and Kalbarri but is between them.

Those who stay put are advised to organise an emergency kit including first aid supplies, torch, portable radio, spare batteries, food and water.

Evacuation centres have been established in Denham, Port Denison and Carnarvon and a free bus service will run on Sunday from Geraldton to Port Denison.

Unusually high tides could cause serious flooding in the Denham and Shark Bay region and near Kalbarri, and minor flooding on the coast between Coral Bay and Lancelin, BOM says.

‘We hope we can get through the next few days without loss of life,’ Emergency Services Minister Reece Whitby said on Saturday afternoon.

Unlike the state’s northwest, buildings in the Mid West are not built for cyclones, including structures in Geraldton which has not seen cyclonic conditions for decades, he said. 

A number of roads will be closed in the area on Sunday because of the cyclone, which should weaken as it moves inland on Monday.

FIVE DAY WEATHER FORECAST IN YOUR CITY 

SYDNEY   

Sunday: Min 13. Max 23. Mostly sunny. 

Monday: Min 10. Max 21. Sunny.

Tuesday: Min 11. Max 25. Sunny.

Wednesday: Min 15. Max 29. Partly cloudy 

Thursday: Min 16. Max 25. Partly cloudy 

MELBOURNE      

Sunday: Min 10. Max 15. A few showers. 

Monday:  Min 10. Max 17. Shower or two. 

Tuesday: Min 9. Max 20. Partly cloudy.

Wednesday: Min 14. Max 19. Shower or two

Thursday: Min 11. Max 19. Shower or two 

CANBERRA 

Sunday: Min 5. Max 15. Partly cloudy. 

Monday:  Min 0. Max 17. Mostly sunny. 

Tuesday: Min 1. Max 18. Mostly sunny.

Wednesday: Min 8. Max 20. Partly cloudy

Thursday: Min 6. Max 20. Mostly sunny  

DARWIN   

Sunday: Min 26. Max 33. Possible shower or storm. 

Monday:  Min 25. Max 33. Possible shower or storm. 

Tuesday:  Min 25. Max 33. Partly cloudy.

Wednesday: Min 24. Max 33. Possible early storm

Thursday:  Min 24. Max 33. Mostly sunny

 BRISBANE  

Sunday: Min 18. Max 29. Mostly sunny. 

Monday:  Min 14. Max 24. Sunny.

Tuesday: Min 14. Max 25.  Partly cloudy.

Wednesday: Min 15. Max 27. Mostly sunny

Thursday: Min 16. Max 29. Sunny 

ADELAIDE 

Sunday: Min 12. Max 19. Cloudy.   

Monday: Min 9. Max 22. Mostly sunny.

Tuesday: Min 14. Max 26. Possible late shower.

Wednesday: Min 14. Max 21.Possible shower 

Thursday:  Min 12. Max 21. Possible shower

PERTH 

Sunday: Min 19. Max 27. Shower or two.

 Monday: Min 17. Max 24. Rain easing.

Tuesday: Min 11. Max 20. Partly cloudy. 

Wednesday: Min 10. Max 21. Mostly sunny

Thursday: Min 11. Max 24. Sunny 

HOBART    

Sunday: Min 7. Max 13. Showers. 

Monday:  Min 8. Max 16. Shower ot two. 

Tuesday: Min 8. Max 18. Cloudy.

Wednesday: Min 12. Max 17. Shower or two

Thursday: Min 10. Max 17. Shower or two 

Source: Bureau of Meteorology