KEY POINTS:
- Residents in parts of Victoria, NSW and Queensland could see severe thunderstorms on Good Friday.
- The storms will carry a risk of heavy rainfall, flash flooding and damaging wind gusts.
- Following the storms, temperatures along the east coast are expected to plunge.
Australia is set to shiver through the Easter break as a strong cold front brings severe storm warnings before temperatures plunge across the east coast.
The icy conditions come as a strong cold front attached to a low pressure system tracked across South Australia on Thursday, the Bureau of Meteorology's senior meteorologist Miriam Bradbury says.
Storms and showers continued across southeast South Australia and western and central parts of Victoria on Thursday night.
Good Friday will see worst of the long weekend's thunderstorms develop, with a risk of severe cells in parts of Victoria, NSW and Queensland.
Risk of heavy rain, flash flooding and damaging wind
Thunderstorms bringing a risk of heavy rainfall, flash flooding, damaging wind gusts that could bring down trees, along with possible large hail are forecast for parts of central and eastern Victoria, eastern NSW and southeast Queensland.
"It's essential this weekend, whether you're at home or travelling out and about for the Easter break, to keep an eye on the radar so that you know when storms might be reaching you," Ms Bradbury said.
Storms are expected to ease on Saturday as the weather system tracks off the coast, however this will usher in a drop in temperature, as southwesterly flows replace the cold front.
Cool and windy conditions are expected for Tasmania, southern Victoria and elevated parts of South Australia and NSW.
Late on Saturday and through to Sunday, snowfall is possible in Tasmania above 700-800 metres, and in the eastern Victorian and southeast NSW alps, at altitudes above 1,500 metres.
In Canberra, the bureau predicts showers and a possible thunderstorm on Friday. Saturday brings a slight chance of showers.
Darwin is also likely to experience showers on Friday, and a thunderstorm could also be on the cards. Showers are likely to continue during the afternoon and evening on Saturday, with a thunderstorm remaining a possibility.
There is also a high chance Perth will see showers on Friday, and possibly a thunderstorm during the afternoon and evening. There's a slight chance of showers forecast for Saturday.
Forecast for the rest of Good Friday
Sydney: 24C; partly cloudy, showers, possible storm.
Melbourne: 19C; cloudy, showers, possible storm.
Brisbane: 27C; cloudy, showers, possible storm.
Adelaide: 22C; partly cloudy, shower or two.
Perth: 25C; partly cloudy, shower or two.
Canberra: 19C; cloudy, showers, possible storm.
Darwin: 33C; partly cloudy, showers, possible storm.
Hobart: 21C; cloudy, showers.
Saturday
Sydney: 15-25C; windy, mostly sunny.
Melbourne: 14-18C; cloudy, showers.
Brisbane: 20-30C; sunny, becoming windy.
Adelaide: 14-19C; partly cloudy, shower two.
Perth: 14-25C; partly cloudy.
Canberra: 9-19C; partly cloudy.
Darwin: 25-32C; partly cloudy, showers, possible storm.
Hobart: 12-17C; cloudy, showers.
What will Easter Sunday bring?
Conditions will ease on Easter Sunday for inland and northern NSW, through to Brisbane as well as inland Victoria, however showers are expected to continue in southern Victoria and Tasmania.
The bureau is also monitoring a potential cyclone in the Arafura Sea off the coast of the Northern Territory.
The system, currently a tropical low, is forecast to move west over the Timor Sea on the weekend, and could develop into a tropical cyclone on Monday, northwest of the Kimberly coast.
If the low develops into a tropical cyclone, it will be named "Ilsa".
Easter Sunday forecast
Sydney: 14-21C; mostly sunny.
Melbourne: 11-15C; cloudy with a high chance of showers.
Brisbane: 17-29C; sunny.
Adelaide: 12-19C; cloudy, chance of showers.
Perth: 13-26C; partly cloudy.
Canberra: 5-15C; cloudy.
Darwin: 25-32C; cloudy, chance of showers and a thunderstorm.
Hobart: 7-13C; cloudy, high chance of showers.
