Australia's warm autumn has come to an end as severe weather warnings were put in place for parts of Victoria and NSW, with damaging winds, snow and heavy surf expected throughout Tuesday and ???
In NSW, the affected areas stretch from Bega in the south-east to Kempsey in the north, taking in Sydney and Newcastle, with damaging winds expected to hit 90 km/h in some places.
Blue Mountain residents have woken to a blanketing of snow and have been advised to avoid driving to Sydney with a number of roads closed due to snow and ice.
Snow at Katoomba train station on Tuesday morning. Source: Sydney Trains
"Gusty winds will make driving conditions dangerous during Tuesday in the Eastern suburbs," the Bureau of Meteorology said at 5.00am.
Meanwhile, coastal town Ulladulla recorded a wind gust of 130km/h early on Tuesday morning.
The Bureau of Meteorology has warned people to stay well away from the surf.
It's a rough day out on the water today - marine users stay up to date with our warnings. 🌊🌊🌊💨💨💨
Marine Wind Warning: https://t.co/AOa6KEm2Fv
Hazardous Surf Warning: https://t.co/nmDiNLyzDz#marine #NSW #surf #windy
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) June 4, 2019
Meanwhile, parts of eastern Victoria, including Gippsland, have been battered with heavy rain and wind with flash flooding forecast across the region.
In both states, gale-force winds and snowfall could lead to blizzard conditions in Alpine areas on Tuesday morning.
Australia has just experienced it's fourth warmest autumn on record, despite a cold spell towards the end of the season.
People in affected areas should put their car under cover, secure loose items around the house, keep clear of creeks and storm drains and should not enter flood water, state emergency services warn.
