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This week, a polar blast blew across, bringing with it one of the coldest mornings of the year and very low temperatures.

It was the coldest morning of 2024 in Sydney and Melbourne, with lows of just 7°C and 1.6°C, respectively.

Residents were grabbing for more garments as the "feels-like" temperature plunged to almost 0 degrees due to the bitter winds. Tasmania, the ACT, and Queensland were all ensnared in the freeze's cold grasp as it reached farther southeast.

Christie Johnson, a meteorologist with the Bureau of Meteorology, says that a strong low-pressure system in the Tasman Sea is bringing polar air masses from Antarctica into eastern Australia, which is the reason for the cold, 7News reported.

Overnight, a blast of arctic air overtook Victoria and New South Wales, causing temperatures to drop to abnormally low levels. Across New South Wales, many areas recorded freezing temperatures: Lismore (3.7°C), Kempsey (1.3°C), Port Macquarie (3.9°C), and Taree (4.9°C). Temperatures neared freezing point farther south, with Bega at 0.8°C, Bathurst at 0.1°C, and Orange at 0.7°C. Subzero temperatures were recorded in a few places, including Forbes (-1.9°C), Albury (-2.2°C), and Wagga (-1.3°C).

It was considerably colder in Victoria, where temperatures dropped as low as -3.9°C in Bendigo and -3.6°C in Shepparton and Ballarat. Warrnambool, which is on the coast, reported -1.4°C, demonstrating how broad the cold spell was, according to The North Star.

At 4:30 in the morning, Canberra Airport in the Australian Capital Territory recorded a bone-chilling -4°C, highlighting the intensity of the cold wave engulfing Southeast Australia. As winter lays claim over these areas, locals are preparing for more icy conditions.

Record low temperatures are being seen in Southeast Australia as a result of freezing winds caused by a low-pressure system in the Tasman Sea. A fog warning was issued by Canberra, and Perisher Valley recorded -8°C with an apparent -11°C. A system of high pressure made the cold even more intense. On June 21, clouds could temporarily improve the weather, but by June 22, another cold front is predicted.