Winter cold front brings heavy rain, strong winds and snow to southern Australia

A deep low-pressure system will drive a broad band of rain and strong winds across southern Australia over the coming days, beginning with heavy showers on Western Australia's west coast overnight. The moisture spreads to South Australia on Saturday and then to the Victorian ranges on Sunday, where a flood watch has been issued for ten catchments. Thunderstorms may develop in parts of Western Australia, South Australia and southern inland New South Wales.

A second frontal system is expected to hit Western Australia on Monday and reach the southeast by Tuesday-Wednesday, raising five-day rainfall totals to at least 25 mm, with some coastal and alpine locations seeing 50 mm to 100 mm. Wind gusts could top 80 km/h in coastal Perth, reach around 70 km/h in Adelaide and exceed 90 km/h in parts of Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne, with isolated peaks over 100 km/h. The alpine region will see a brief snow surge on Sunday, followed by heavy snowfall on Monday that could deliver 20-40 cm, improving conditions for ski resorts despite wet, heavy snow later in the week.