Temperatures to drop ‘up to 10 degrees below average’ in WA as residents warned to brace for damaging winds

Temperatures are set to plummet to well under the average for this time of year in one state, as a heatwave batters other parts of the country.

Temperatures are set to drop up to 10 degrees below average in Western Australia after residents were warned to brace for damaging and destructive winds.

Sky News Weather meteorologist Alison Osbourne warned temperatures could drop in WA and across the eastern seaboard, while temperatures are tipped to soar across other parts of the country.

“WA up to 10C below average and across the eastern seaboard a combination of cloud cover and some light showers leading to temperatures below average as well by a margin of about 6C,” Ms Osbourne said.

“But in between it’s hot from the Northern Territory top end … but most pronounced over South Australia including Adelaide and into Western Victoria, temperatures as high as 8C above seasonal.”

Warm northerly winds are set to bring a warm change for South Australia heading into Thursday.

“It is warming up,” Ms Osbourne said.

However a frontal system is due to sweep through South Australia on Thursday afternoon, bringing showers and thunderstorms before heading into Victoria, NSW and Tasmania into Friday.

“Leading to a return of showers and potential thunderstorm activity and temperatures closer to seasonal if a touch below, so certainly seeing a big swing in the mercury through southern parts of the country for the rest of this coming week,” Ms Osbourne said.

Temperatures up to 10 degrees below average are expected across WA. Picture: WeatherZone

A heatwave is also underway across the country’s northwest top end, including Darwin.

“But of course it’s October, and therefore officially it is ‘stinger season’,” Ms Osbourne said.

The temperature update follows a warning from the Bureau of Meteorology on Tuesday that strong winds of up to 100km/h could be experienced across parts of WA, with some areas expected to be battered by destructive winds up to 125km’h on Wednesday.

“Damaging and destructive winds, large waves and severe thunderstorms are all on the table for Western Australia over the next couple of days as a pair of weather systems impact the state,” Bureau senior meteorologist Angus Hynes said on Tuesday.

“We’ve got a trough starting near the coast moving inland and on the eastern side of that trough, a broad area of thunderstorms will develop.

“At the same time as that’s happening over inland parts of the state, a strong cold front will be moving through Perth and southwest early on Wednesday morning coming with some rain, maybe some hail and very, very strong winds.

Showers are tipped to continue for much of the country moving into the weekend. Picture: NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui

“In the southwest of the state, the primary threat with that front does look to be the damaging to destructive winds.

“It will develop as the front moves through early in the morning, then it’s very windy all day on Wednesday and potentially in the evening we could see the strongest winds of all because we have this low pressure area in the state’s southwest.

“It’s getting closer and closer, it squeezes the isobars together and causes that wind to blow even more strongly across the state.”

Sydney is tipped to reach a high of 28C across the weekend with a chance of showers through the week, while Melbourne is expected to reach a high of 25C on Thursday with showers heading into the weekend.

Brisbane is set to hit a maximum of 33C on Sunday with a mostly sunny week, while Perth appears to expect showers through most of the week with a top of 24C on Sunday.

Adelaide is set to reach 28C on Thursday with showers heading into the weekend while Hobart can expect similar showers with a top of 23C on Friday.

Canberra is also forecast for showers across the weekend with a top of 23C on Friday, while Darwin is expected to stay between 35C and 36C across the week with possible showers moving into the weekend.