Australians are bracing for wild weather with scorching heat, damaging winds and hail
Australia is facing a mix of harsh weather across the country, with temperatures reaching 40 degrees in some states, and wintry weather and 100km/h winds in others.
The Bureau of Meteorology says Tasmania got its first real taste of winter overnight as a cold wave hit.
Apple Isle is aiming for a high temperature of 17C, but due to the wind, temperatures will feel close to 10C for most of Friday.
While showers are expected to drench the entire state, some western areas are expected to see a dusting of snow and even some hail.
Victoria and Southern NSW will also face similar conditions as arctic air moves towards the Tasman Sea over the next few hours.
The expected highest temperature in Melbourne today is 19C and the chance of rain is 80 percent.
It is expected that the rain will continue until the weekend and the temperature will rise to 16 degrees.
A damaging wind warning has also been issued for the high eastern regions, with Alpine regions predicted to be potentially affected by winds of 110 km/h.
Mid-autumn is very “summer-like” for eastern NSW and south-east Queensland, according to Sky News meteorologist Marina Neuman.
Brisbane is gearing up for a scorching day; While the city center will reach 30 degrees, the western suburbs will feel 37 degrees.
NSW is feeling the heat too, with some regions even chasing records.
Central Sydney is forecast to have a top temperature of 33 degrees, with the western suburbs likely to be two degrees warmer.
While regional areas such as Wollongong, Newcastle and Maitland also reached similar highs, the real scorcher is in the north-west, with Bourke pushing 39C.
However, this oppressive heat is predicted to pass tomorrow as the cold air finally moves northward.
In the Northern Territory, category 4 hurricane Malia is approaching the coast and is expected to make landfall early next week.
According to the Bureau, the hurricane produces winds of up to 260 kilometers per hour; This is the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the northern Solomon Sea.
Strong winds and heavy rains are expected.
