Severe weather, including rare snowfall reported in Queensland, Australia

A deepening Tasman low combined with a strong high in the Great Australian Bight, bringing windy and cold conditions to New South Wales and Queensland, Australia on June 3, 2019. A rare occurrence of snow was reported in near the NSW-QLD border at Eukey, just south of Stanthorpe.

Severe weather warnings were issued for a 1 000 km (620 miles) stretch of the coast, including Sydney, NSW and people urged to stay indoors amid heavy rain and gale-force winds.

Near-freezing temperatures and snowfall were reported at Eukey, just south of Stanthorpe. This is near the New South Wales – Queensland border, about 220 km (136 miles) SW of Brisbane.

While snow is rare in Queensland, it does happen from time to time, mostly near the border, BOM said. The last significant snowfall there was back in 2015.

"Snowfall in Queensland, driven by colder air from the south, was an unusual occurrence in a state with a sub-tropical to tropical climate, but in the south of the state, particularly near the New South Wales border, it's quite mountainous and in the elevated areas it can get quite cold," BOM Meteorologist Lachlan Stone told BBC.

BOM reported a very cold morning across the Darling Downs and Granite Belt, QLD with a few new May records set on May 31. Stanthorpe registered -6.9 °C (19.5 °F), Applethorpe -6.1 °C (21 °F), Oakey -4.4 °C (24 °F), Dalby -3.6 °C (25.5 °F). Warwick was at -4.9 °C (23.1 °F), close to its record -5.3 °C (22.4 °F) set in 1965.

Up to 5 cm (1.9 inches) were reported in the Blue Mountains region on June 3, NSW, forcing authorities to issue travel warnings and close a number of roads.

Featured image credit: BOM