Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane weather: Yet another icy winter blast to strike millions in the next 24 hours

A powerful cold front is ripping through Australia’s southeast, bringing damaging winds, heavy snowfall, and widespread disruption across New South Wales.

The intense system, which soaked Adelaide in its wettest 24 hours since January 2024, has already dumped 25cm of snow over NSW and Victoria’s alpine regions.

A fierce westerly wind trailing behind the front are wreaking havoc, with both coastal and inland areas of NSW bearing the brunt.

Just before 2pm on Thursday, Sydney recorded wind gusts of 57.4km/h.

Severe wind warnings remain in place for the Illawarra, southern Sydney, Newcastle, the Snowy Mountains and Canberra, with authorities urging residents to brace for more intense gusts and potential damage into Friday.

‘We’re expecting the strongest winds over the next 24 hours, particularly across eastern NSW,’ a Bureau of Meteorology Meteorologist Angus Hines said.

‘We’re seeing widespread gusts that could bring down trees and powerlines, and cause dangerous driving conditions.’

Winds are tipped to ease across Sydney and Newcastle from late Thursday afternoon, but gusty conditions will linger through the night in the Illawarra and Tablelands, finally calming by Friday lunchtime.

Fierce westerly winds will wreak havoc across both coastal and inland areas of NSW over the next 24 hours, sparking a series of weather warnings (the winds are pictured in red)

A cold front sweeping from Sydney (pictured) down to Canberra will be in place over the weekend, sending temperatures plunging across the southeast

Drivers, especially motorcyclists, have been urged to take extra caution, with fallen branches, blackouts, and disruptions to transport services likely.

In Victoria, a separate coastal hazard warning for dangerously high tides along the Gippsland coastline is expected to peak around 8pm on Thursday.

Low-lying areas around Lakes Entrance, where the Gippsland Lakes meet the Southern Ocean, are at risk of minor flooding and seawater inundation.

Residents are advised to secure loose items, avoid unnecessary travel, and stay up to date with the latest warnings via the Bureau of Meteorology’s website and app.

Check the forecast for your city this weekend below.

Sydney

Friday: Sunny Min 8 Max 19

Saturday: Sunny. Min 9 Max 20

Sunday: Sunny. Min 7 Max 19

Sydney winds reached gale force levels on Thursday afternoon, with speeds of 57.4km/h (Locals are seen embracing the wet weather at Bondi Beach, Sydney)