Easter weather: ‘Wet, cold and windy’ forecast for long weekend
Right on cue for Easter, the weather is set to head south with warnings of “wintertime” temperatures, storms, hail and even snow.
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Wet. Cold. Windy.
That’s the miserable weather forecast for Easter 2023 across much of Australia’s south and east.
While many of us will be looking forward to a long weekend, the Bureau of Meteorology has warned “temperatures are likely to be well below average”.
Indeed snow could fall in Alpine areas, damaging winds might flare up, heavy rain is due and a brewing cyclone across the country’s north could add to the chaos.
Victoria and Tasmania are expected to be the most affected as well as southern areas of New South Wales and South Australia.
Only southern Western Australia may fully escape the Easter meteorological melee, forecasters have said.
For populated areas, Good Friday could see the bad weather kick off.
Much of the mayhem is being fuelled by moisture from the Pilbara heading towards the east.
“The eastern states will all face some wet weather with showers and thunderstorms from Tasmania up to Queensland,” said Sky News Weather meteorologist Rob Sharpe.
“That won’t last long because that system is going to continue tracking further east dragging that moisture off but more fronts will come in behind it dropping those temperatures through the long weekend across the southeast.
“Temperatures are tumbling for the southeast and the coldest day of the week looks to be Easter Sunday.
“It’s going to be almost winter like in some cases,” he said.
A high in Adelaide of 29C on Wednesday will steadily fall to 21C on Good Friday with some showers. Easter Sunday will fluctuate between 12C and 18C with similar conditions on Monday.
“It is expected to be wet, cold and windy for South Australia on Friday and Saturday, with sunny breaks developing on Sunday and Monday,” Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Sarah Scully remarked.
Melbourne will see 26C on Thursday – savour that as the mercury is then set to sink.
“It’s going to bang on the wintertime average,” said Sky’s Mr Sharpe.
Good Friday could see up to 15mm of rain and a high of 21C in Melbourne CBD.
Then more rain and 18C on Saturday and bottoming out at a mere 15C for Sunday. Easter Monday will be a touch warmer with a high of 17C.
Snow likely to fall over Easter
Snow is a definite possibility on higher ground with up to 5mm falling on Halls Creek on Sunday and as much as 15mm at Mt Hotham on Saturday.
NSW mountainous areas could also see the white stuff as could Kunanyi/Mount Wellington, above Hobart. Temperatures on the Tasmanian peak could drop to -1C on Easter Sunday with snow on both that day and Saturday.
Hobart will get to 21C on Thursday and then 22C on Friday, with some rain. On Saturday a high of 18C is forecast with up to 6mm of rain while on Easter Sunday the city will be lucky to get to a mere 14C, again with rain. Easter Monday won’t be much different.
Much of the rest of the week in Canberra will see maximums in the low twenties and single digits minimums. Like elsewhere, it starts getting sketchy on Good Friday when a possible storm may push through the capital bringing up to 15mm of rain.
Saturday will see a high of 19C. The rain episodes should then clear but it will be cool with Sunday topping out at 15C with a 7C minimum and Monday on 16C.
Sydney storm but otherwise sunny
“There’s a chance that some of those showers could run up the NSW coast on Sunday or Monday depending on how things go with the angle of the low pressure system and exactly where it forms,” said Mr Sharpe.
However much of the NSW coast should escape the worst of the conditions.
Wednesday and Thursday in Sydney will deliver mid-twenties maximum and lows in the high teens. Good Friday will be balmy 25C but a storm and showers are possible.
Saturday could be a touch warmer and then Easter Sunday and Monday will park around the 21C mark with mostly sunny skies.
It will push 30C in Brisbane in the run up to Easter with blue skies. Good Friday could see a severe storm, however.
Saturday will be sunny again with highs up to 33C and the bouncing around 30C for Sunday and Monday.
Sticky in Darwin with mid-thirties highs during Easter and rain across the weekend. Up to 25mm could fall on Sunday.
Tropical cyclone warning
A big storm could be brewing across northern WA over Easter, said Mr Sharpe.
“A tropical low is going to spin up over the next few days and there’s potential from Sunday for that to turn into a tropical cyclone.
“That’s most likely to be near northern parts of WA and there’s a decent chance that will become a cyclone and, if it does, then somewhere between Broome and Karratha is the probable target zone.”
The only capital that is likely to be free of Easter weather drama is Perth. Expect warm and sunny days with a high of 26C on Good Friday and 27C on Easter Sunday. Warm enough to make the chocolate melt.
Originally published as Easter weather: ‘Wet, cold and windy’ forecast for long weekend
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