Nation still reeling from winter chills with hotter weather on the horizon

A warm, sunny spring is still being delayed in some parts of the nation, with two states in particular met with a chilly reality this week.

Parts of Victoria and South Australia have been hit with jarring cold snaps and even frost warnings by the Bureau of Meteorology as temperatures drop down to zero degrees.

Northeastern parts of Victoria have been affected by morning frost, while SA’s Mid North district along Wudinna also took a chilly hit.

“It’s been driven by a strong high-pressure system in The Bight that extends the ridge across southern Australia,” senior meteorologist Sarach Scully explained.

“And that high ridge has brought generally clear skies and light winds that allowed the temperatures to really plummet overnight, resulting in below-average temperatures and some areas of frost.”

Temperatures in South Australian areas like Wudinna reached well into the negatives at -1.3C, with Cummins Airport at -0.07C Snowtown at 0.1C.

In Victoria, Aubrey experienced a chilly 1.4C and Wangaratta reached 0.6C.

Those along the state’s air peninsula were also met by heavy morning fog.

As the front continues moving, the Bureau of Meteorology expects the frost to move into central and eastern parts of NSW into Wednesday morning.

“We’ll see both minimum and maximum temperatures then start to gradually creep up,” Ms Scully said.

It comes in time for much of the nation to be hit by opposite weather conditions later in the week thanks to a large high-pressure system strengthening from the south.

“This high pressure system is going to bring a lot of sunshine and fairly settled weather to much of the country,” meteorologist Miriam Bradbury said.

Sydney is set to feel the heat as a result later in the week, reaching a top of 30C by Saturday, while Brisbane will soar as high as 31C.

Tasmania and Melbourne won’t be a beneficiary of this, however, as another cold front approaches, bringing continued showers from Wednesday.