Winter tightens its grip down under by Kirsty McCabe
If you are looking to get away from the summer 'heat' back here in the UK, then pack up your mittens and head to Australia.
South-eastern parts of the country are in the grip of winter at the moment, with heavy snow and strong winds sweeping across New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.
Cold south-westerly winds blew in frequent and heavy snow showers throughout Tuesday night, turning roads into skating rinks and catching many people off-guard.
The snow has even fallen to lower levels in some states. Areas of Victoria and Tasmania have seen their first snowfall for up to 50 years, and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology believes that it could be one of the coldest spells to hit Victoria in 20 years.
Australian Forecaster Scott Williams explains that the cold snap is quite unexpected after recent conditions;
‘It is surprising in that given what we’ve had this year, the warmest April on record, with very much above-average temperatures for the last four months, we’ve actually got an event like this.’
The biggest snowfalls have been recorded in Gippsland, north-east Victoria, where snow has fallen down to sea level.
Hobart, the Tasmanian capital, has also received a dusting, something that hasn’t been seen for 20 years, and forecasters are predicting more snow. A cold front is due to cross the area overnight tonight, bringing more snow and pushing temperatures down to just 1 Celsius in Hobart, and as low as minus 5 in Canberra.
Ski resorts are jumping for joy at the delivery. Twenty-five centimetres of fresh snow was dumped across the main ski range last night and the Ben Lomond resort is now operating four lifts for the first time this season.
However, not everyone is excited by the news. Shops and businesses have also been forced to close and many roads have been closed causing traffic chaos. A school bus reportedly slid off the road but fortunately no one was injured.
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