Swells at South Coast beaches will be “deceptively hazardous” this weekend, meteorologists warn. Photo: Lucy Cartwright.
A “rinse and repeat” of cold mornings is on the cards for Canberra.
Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Angus Hines says conditions will be fairly settled over the Reconciliation Day long weekend, with temperatures from Saturday to Monday expected to start at zero or one degrees and top out at about 16 degrees.
(In good news, Friday’s bone-chilling -3.9 degrees isn’t expected again.)
“Honestly, [it will be] a pretty nice long weekend as long as you’re rugged up through the morning,” he says.
“When the sun’s out, it’ll feel warm enough. As soon as that sun sets, it’s going to cool off really quickly.”
Conditions are ultimately expected to be more settled than they were earlier this week when a powerful cold front brought strong winds to much of southern NSW and the ACT.
The winds have calmed down, Mr Hines says, which is also contributing to the cold conditions.
“Given there’s very little wind around, everything just settles down [overnight] and it really allows things to cool off,” he says.
“Those long, clear nights certainly allow all that heat from the day to dissipate up into the atmosphere.
“Seeing those temperature swings of 15 or 18 degrees through the course of a 24-hour day is actually reasonably common this time of year.”
Canberra’s chilly starts are expected to stay through the long weekend into early next week, before a change comes through on Tuesday (3 June).
“[You] could see a couple of showers roll through, as well,” Mr Hines says.
“It doesn’t really look like any of that rain will hit Canberra on Tuesday, [but] there’s an outside chance of a shower on Wednesday.”
A wintry chill will be felt across much of southeast NSW and the ACT this weekend. Photo: Andre2013.
For Canberrans escaping down south, the weather will be (just a bit) warmer, offering “sunny skies with very little in the way of wind”.
On the coast, Eden, Merimbula and Bermagui will start their days at around 7 or 8 degrees, before reaching a top of about 18 or 19 degrees.
Slightly inland, Bega is expecting a minimum temperature of 2 to 4 degrees and a top of around 15 degrees during the day.
Additionally, surf warnings for “deceptively hazardous” swells are expected to remain in effect until at least Saturday.
In a warning, the Bureau flagged hazardous surf along the Illawarra coast over Saturday and Sunday, and the Batemans and Eden coasts on Saturday.
Mr Hines says these swells along much of the NSW coast had been whipped up by a far-away system.
“Even though the winds will be dying out, we’re still [going to see] those 2 to 2.5 metre waves, with the potential for some pretty hazardous conditions out over those coastal regions,” he says.
“It might start to weaken away a little bit, but it’s definitely something to be aware of for those who are hoping to get out on the water in the next few days.”
Surf Life Saving NSW CEO Steve Pearce also urged people to be careful if they head to the beach or want to rockfish.
“Please, whatever you do, follow the advice of our lifesavers and lifeguards this week if you’re planning a trip to the coast,” he says.
“Check BeachSafe before you visit the coastline and do not go in the water if the beach is closed. If you’re planning to rock fish, do your research prior to leaving and always wear a lifejacket.”
