A powerful cold air mass originating from the Southern Ocean pushed up across southeastern Australia in mid-June, delivering record-breaking low temperatures to inland areas and the Australian Capital Territory.
Canberra recorded a minimum of -7.2 degrees Celsius, its lowest temperature since 2018 and the coldest June morning the capital has experienced since 1986. The city's first sub-zero reading of 2026 had come only days earlier at -2 degrees; the subsequent dive to -7.2 surprised even Bureau of Meteorology forecasters.
Goulburn in southern New South Wales reached -4 degrees. Widespread frost warnings were issued for inland districts of New South Wales, South Australia, and Victoria, threatening sensitive crops and newly planted pastures in the Riverina, Mallee, and Southern Tablelands.
Snow fell in alpine and elevated regions. Shelters in Canberra and nearby towns reported increased overnight demand. Farmers in frost-affected areas activated irrigation systems and protective covers for market garden crops.
The Bureau attributed the event to a cold air mass crossing very cold Southern Ocean sea-surface temperatures before moving inland, combined with clear, cloudless skies that allowed rapid overnight heat loss. The conditions are ideal for extreme frosts.
The BOM's winter 2026 outlook projects above-average temperatures overall for most of Australia, making the cold snap a short-duration anomaly, the Bureau said.
