Sydney experienced its warmest winter day in eight years on Wednesday, with the temperature at Observation Hill reaching 27.5C, almost 10C above the August average maximum of 17.9C. The Bureau of Meteorology's Jake Phillips said the warmth was a sign of seasonal change, with longer days and warmer temperatures leading to thunderstorms in central and northern parts of New South Wales.
The heat was short-lived, as a trough of low pressure from the west brought a cool change and storms to eastern NSW. Sydney's record August temperature remains 31.3C, set in 1995. Meanwhile, Adelaide recorded its warmest winter day in 14 years on Tuesday at 26.4C.
In the ski fields, warmer-than-usual weather has impacted snow conditions. At Thredbo, the top station temperature is forecast to reach 5C on Thursday, well above the August average of 0.5C. In Victoria, low snowfalls forced early closures at Mount Stirling, Lake Mountain, and Mount Baw Baw on Sunday.
Mount Buller has only seven of its 19 lifts operating due to limited snow cover. Spokesperson Rhylla Morgan noted that August usually has the deepest snow, but this year it is much reduced. Scientists attribute rising temperatures to increasing atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, with Australia's average temperatures nearly 1.5C higher than in 1910.
