Eastern Australia Battles Severe Autumn Weather with Snow and Storms
The first significant snowfall of 2026 occurred at Thredbo Ski Resort in New South Wales on Friday, marking a dramatic shift in weather patterns across eastern Australia. This event coincided with a series of wild autumn storms that have caused widespread disruption, including power outages and transport chaos.
Storm Impacts and Power Outages
On Thursday night, Australia's east coast was slammed by intense wind and rain, leading to thousands of people waking without power on Friday. In New South Wales alone, tens of thousands lost electricity late Thursday, with approximately 4,000 homes still in the dark by Friday morning. The severe storm swept across the state, causing significant issues for commuters, including the cancellation of train and Metro services on Sydney's north shore.
At Brookvale Oval, fans were forced to take cover before the NRL game between Manly-Warringah and the Sydney Roosters as the ground was inundated with rain. In Dubbo, located in the state's central west, severe winds partially collapsed a crane on a building site, although no injuries were reported.
Weather Warnings and Forecasts
More warnings remained in place for Friday, with wind gusts above 100km/h forecast for many southern coastal areas in New South Wales as a vigorous coastal low continued to impact large swathes of the state. In Victoria, wild and windy conditions persisted into Friday morning, with southerly wind gusts of about 90km/h recorded in Melbourne.
These wintry conditions follow a sultry summer during which more than 60 weather stations across Australia recorded their highest ever daily maximum temperatures, and the nation experienced its fifth-warmest summertime night temperatures on record.
Effects on Sports and Alpine Regions
Thursday sport was heavily impacted by the weather, with most of the first day of the Sheffield Shield final washed out and Geelong's home AFL game against Adelaide severely affected by the wet conditions. Alpine areas, including Thredbo, Falls Creek, and Hotham, experienced their first snowstorms of the year, with the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting blizzard conditions for areas above 1600 metres elevation on Friday.
This combination of storms and snowfall highlights the unpredictable nature of autumn weather in eastern Australia, bringing both challenges and seasonal changes to the region.
