It was a tale of two coastlines for Australia’s weather on the first day of summer yesterday, as Perth boiled while Melbourne froze.
The Victorian capital reached a chilly top of 16.1 degrees by mid-yesterday afternoon, its coldest summer day in four years, Weatherzone reported.
The website attributed the cold weather to a front that sent polar air over Victoria and southern New South Wales.
There was high heat in Perth and chilly shivers in Melbourne on the first day of summer. (Weatherzone)
While Melbourne shivered, snow fell in the alpine country and temperatures stayed below freezing at Mount Hotham in Victoria and Thredbo in NSW.
Meanwhile, Perth sweltered under oppressive heat that reached 39 degrees in the city, and cracked 40 in some suburbs, Weatherzone said.
Geraldton’s first day of summer saw it peak at 42.2 degrees.
The heat will move across the country over the week. (Leigh Henningham)
This was reportedly due to a high-pressure system driving hot air toward western and north-western Australia.
Weatherzone said the heat was set to move across the country as the week went on, with Melbourne set to see temperatures top 30 degrees toward the weekend, while Perth cooled down into the 20s.
