A strong high pressure system sitting over eastern Australia is set deliver sunny skies across VIC, SA, the NT, inland NSW, plus most of WA and QLD this weekend. A warm northerly airstream will be directed across WA by the high, causing daytime temperatures to rise up to 8 degrees above average. Katanning, Lake Grace and Leonora are forecasted to receive maximum temperatures of up to 7 above average on Saturday. Clear overnight skies will allow minimum temperatures to drop well below average across the region. The clear overnight skies will also allow for great snow making across the Alpine resorts. The most extreme minimums will be experienced around the upper NT and northeast QLD with the mercury set to drop up to 6 degrees below average at Katherine and Victoria River Downs on Saturday morning.

An onshore airstream has delivered isolated coastal showers to southwest WA on Thursday. 24 hour rainfall totals to 9am Thursday were less than 10mm with the highest recorded figure at Mosman Park with 7mm. Since then to 3pm WST, Busselton Town has received 1.6mm. The onshore airstream will continue to bring isolated showers on Friday, mainly to the lower South West and western Southern Coastal districts. Winds will be northwesterly initially, but will turn southwesterly later in the day as a cold front passes to the south. Rainfall totals will be generally less than 5mm across the region. Onshore winds will again bring isolated coastal showers to the far southwest on Saturday as another cold front approaches from the west. Showers and northwesterly winds will increase on Sunday as the cold front draws closer to the west coast.

An upper trough over southeast Australia has caused showers and Alpine snow across TAS, VIC as well as southern and inland NSW on Thursday. Isolated showers of less than 10mm were experienced across the region with light showers extending up into the NSW Upper Western district with Cobar picking up 0.6mm. In the 24 hours to 9am Thursday the top rainfall totals were at Marrawah and Dookie with 9mm. Since then to 5pm, rainfall totals have be less 10mm with 7mm falling at Wilson’s Promontory. Showers contracted to the east throughout the day as an area of high pressure ridged in from the west. Showers fell as snow about the Alps. On Friday, the trough will move to the northeast and combine with a southeasterly airstream, producing showers across eastern NSW and far southern QLD. The upper trough will assist in producing isolated storms across northeast NSW and southern QLD on Friday afternoon. The most frequent showers will be along the NSW coast with the heaviest falls likely around the Hunter.

Showers will spread up the NSW coast on Friday and persist during the weekend with heavy falls possible in the Hunter. The showers will first develop along the south coast early Friday behind a southeasterly change. The change will push north on Friday, causing the showers to spread up the coast. The heaviest falls are likely along the Hunter coastline early Saturday but most of the NSW coast should receive at least 10mm by Monday. Showers will begin to clear from the South Coast during the weekend but are likely to continue along the northern half of the coast until at least Tuesday. An upper trough lingering over eastern NSW will aid instability and allow some showers to reach the eastern ranges.

Warmer northerly winds will develop across WA on Thursday and will continue until at least Sunday. The northerly winds will bring mostly sunny skies and well above average temperatures to inland and south coast districts. Daytime temperatures will become progressively warmer as the northerlies persist, climbing up to 7 above normal by Sunday. Esperance is forecast to reach 20 on Thursday, 21 on Friday and 22 on Saturday. Slightly cooler northwesterly winds will hold temperatures steady on the west coast with Perth forecast to reach 21 from Thursday to Sunday, 2 above average. Skies cleared over southwest WA on Wednesday behind a cold front. The front brought around 5 to 10mm to the Lower West and Southwest districts but rain totals this winter remain at record low levels in southwest WA. The next major front is due around Monday next week.

Skies will remain mostly cloudy across southeastern states on Thursday, leading to another cold, wintry day. High cloud crossing the region on Wednesday with an upper trough kept daytime temperatures up to 7 below average. Richmond reached just 13 degrees, its coldest August day for 3 years. Gunnedah and Narrabri recorded highs of 14, 6 below average. Despite the cloud the day remained dry in most districts. A second, stronger upper trough will cross VIC and NSW on Thursday, bringing further cloud and below average temperatures. The cloud should be a little thicker than on Wednesday, leading to light patchy rain in most districts. The upper trough will ensure the rain falls as snow across the Alps, although falls will be generally around 5cm or less. The upper trough will move over the east coast on Friday, causing skies to clear from VIC and inland NSW. This will allow temperatures to climb to near average levels during the weekend.

A cold front and trough crossed the west coast on Monday resulting in strong winds, showers and areas of rain. Northwesterly winds ahead of the front gusted up to 76km/hr at Cape Leeuwin while winds in the wake of the front hit 70km/hr at Cape Naturaliste. Gale and Strong Wind Warnings were issued as a result of the intense winds. Showers were most frequent in the far southwest, while showers tended to rain across the western inland. In the 24 hours to 9am Monday, Aston Downs received 16mm. Since then to 3pm WST, Boyanup North has accumulated 16mm. Showers will spread along the southern coastline while continuing in the southwest in westerly winds behind the front. The trough will move east with the front, causing the patchy rain to contract to the Interior and Eucla. Winds will ease for a period in the southwest but will increase again later on Tuesday with the approach of another front.

There was has been some rain across the QLD interior in the last day or so. On Sunday Ballera got 1mm. A weak low pressure trough crossed central and southern QLD on Monday, causing a small area of light rain and isolated storms to spread east. The rain fell in the Central West, Warrego, Maranoa, Darling Downs and Central Highlands, but little elsewhere. There were a few places that got some handy rain, but only a few. Toliness and Derbyshire Downs picked up 15 and 14mm respectively in the 24 hours to 9am Monday. Since then to 5pm, Longreach received 6.8mm. Longreach has accumulated 22mm of rainfall this month, only 3mm above average, but amazingly their wettest July in 13 years.

On Tuesday, a weak high will nudge in, causing light rain to head to the Mackay, Charters Towers and Townsville areas and then clear. Storms will be less frequent with the airmass becoming more stable. Early fog patches may develop on Tuesday morning due to lingering moisture in the wake of the trough.

A cold front crossing the southeast of the country on Monday has delivered strong winds, showers and Alpine snow to TAS, VIC and southern NSW. Wind gusts of up to 119km/hr were recorded at Thredbo Top Station (NSW), Hogan Island (VIC) and Cape Grim (TAS) on Monday morning. Winds remained strong and sometimes gusty but eased relative to the force of the winds experienced on Sunday at some locations. The top rainfall total in the 24 hours to 9am was 60mm at Mt Victoria (TAS). Since then to 5pm, 17mm has fallen at Mt Read (TAS). Falls Creek, Mt Buller and Thredbo faired the best across the snow resorts. Small hail was reported across southern VIC with the assistance with an upper trough. On Tuesday, a high will ridge in from the west easing winds and clearing any remaining showers from the southeast, mainly eastern VIC and western TAS.

A ridge of high pressure establishing itself over WA has seen a return to relatively drier weather over the southwest on Sunday. However the next cold front approaching the mainland is expected to bring another burst of showery winds to the southwest. Showers are expected to fall over the far southwest capes early on Monday morning and extend up to the Central West District and as far east as the Southern Coastal district by Monday evening. Up to 10mm is expected in the far southwest. Light showers will spread across southern WA into Tuesday as this cold front moves into the Bight. Totals will generally be less than 5mm during Tuesday.

Perth can expect to receive around 10 to 15mm from this next front. Perth city has had just over 100mm this winter and will need around 150mm during August to avoid 2006 being its driest winter on record. The August average for Perth is 136mm.