Australia Weather News

Residents in Australia’s southernmost state have awoken to a white Christmas.

Kunanyi/Mount Wellington in Hobart received a dusting of snow this morning and at 8:40am the mercury on the mountain had fallen to minus 1.4 degrees Celsius.

The Bureau of Meteorology said rain was turning into snow before it hit the ground above 700 metres.

The central midlands also received a Christmas morning dusting of snow. 

WA heatwave

Meanwhile, Western Australia has been in the grip of a heatwave, with the temperature in Perth expected to soar above 40C on Christmas Day.

Conditions are hot and dry with strong east-to-north-easterly winds peaking during the morning and severe fire weather warnings across many parts of the state.

Much of the state's south-west is subject to a total fire ban.

Open fires for cooking, camping or outdoor entertainment are not allowed, including fire pits and bonfires.

Despite the heat, Perth failed to reach a forecast overnight temperature that would have been the hottest Christmas morning on record.

Temperatures were tipped to only drop to an overnight low of 26C, breaking the record set in 1915 of 25.9C.

Perth recorded a minimum of 24.8C at 5am — and the mercury had already climbed back to 30.3C by 8:30am.

Tropical Cyclone Grant is also delivering gale force winds to the remote territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands on Christmas morning.

The watch-and-act alert issued last night remains in place with residents told to shelter indoors until further advice.

Christmas forecasts around the country

Brisbane is expected to reach 35C, with a chance of showers and a possible thunderstorm. 

A maximum of 30C and rain is forecast for Darwin.

Canberra is sunny and expecting a top of 28C.

Adelaide will have cloudy and windy conditions, with temperatures peaking at 24C.

It will be cloudy with a slight chance of a shower in Sydney, with a top of 24C.

Melbourne will be similar to Hobart, minus the snow — cloudy with a slight chance of showers and a maximum of 17C.