Weekend to Bring Unseasonable Heat, Gusty Thunderstorms, Flooding and Snow

Eastern Australia is heading into a weekend of sharply contrasting weather, with early spring heat arriving alongside thunderstorms, damaging winds, flooding rain and snow in the Alps.

Sydney's maximum temperatures during the first five days of September are on track to match the city's midsummer average of 26.4 degrees Celsius. That would make this the warmest start to spring recorded at Observatory Hill since the station opened in the 1850s. Most Sydney suburbs are expected to reach 32C or 33C, as much as 13 degrees above the September average and close to the first-week record of 31.1C set in 2013.

Temperatures are also expected to climb above 30C across much of southern Queensland and New South Wales. The north coast of New South Wales is forecast to reach the low 30s, while the northwest could see the mid-30s. After a dry winter and low soil moisture along the coast, hot winds are expected to sharply increase fire danger.

Greater Sydney is forecast to experience the season's first extreme fire danger day, along with a total fire ban. High fire danger is expected in the Illawarra, Hunter and parts of northern New South Wales. Under an extreme rating, fires can move quickly and threaten lives and property.

A powerful front that reached the South Australian coast overnight is forecast to move rapidly east through Victoria and southern New South Wales. Its tightening pressure gradient is expected to strengthen winds and trigger warnings across the southeast. Northern Victoria and northern Tasmania face flooding rain, while parts of the Alps could receive snow. Cooler air will move into New South Wales overnight and reach southeast Queensland on Sunday night, although the Northern Rivers could remain in the low 30s on Sunday.