One state has recorded its coldest-ever summer temperature as much of the country experiences weather cooler than unusual temps.

Victoria has shivered through its coldest summer temperature on record.

A freezing -5.4C was recorded just after 5 am on Wednesday morning at Mt Hotham, beating the previous record for the state’s coldest summer temperature of -5.2C in 1978, set also at Mt Hotham, according to Weatherzone.

Melbourne dropped to 9C overnight and is forecast to get no warmer than 15C during the day.

Further south, temperatures in Hobart also dropped to 9C overnight and the maximum temperature forecast for Wednesday is just 14C.

Sky Weather meteorologist Rob Sharpe said much of the country was experiencing cooler-than-usual temperatures (illustrated by the green and blue on the map below).

But the southeast had the most unusual summer weather with temperatures as much as 14C below average.

“We’re going to be seeing the coldest weather in decades for this time of the year in multiple spots,” he said.

A cold front moved across the southeast on Tuesday, bringing cold polar air straight from the Antarctic.

Tasmania was lashed with wet weather with some suburbs of Hobart recording up to 39mm of falls in the 24 hours to 9 am on Wednesday.

“In the forecast that wet weather is sliding eastwards across Victoria up into southeast NSW,” Mr Sharpe said.

“Snow is expected as low as about 1000 meters today for Tasmania, Victoria, and southern NSW, and that will pick up as that wet weather runs up into the Alpine terrain.

“Expect a snowy daytime for northeast Victoria and the Snowy Mountains in NSW.”

Adelaide also had a cold start to Wednesday, recording 9.7C. There was a low of 7.9C in Canberra. In Sydney, the minimum temperature was 15C and Perth was not too much warmer, with 15.7C.

Bushfire threatens lives and homes in WA

About 200km north of Perth there is an emergency bushfire situation with people being told to evacuate if still safe to do so.

“You are in danger and need to act immediately to survive. There is a threat to lives and homes,” the alert from the WA Department of Fire and Emergency Services reads.

The emergency warning applies to people in an area bounded by Booka Valley running southeasterly to Cervantes Road, East in Munbinea Road, 15km due south, and then due west to the coastline, excluding the town sites of Jurien Bay and Cervantes.

Two evacuation centers have been set up at Jurien Bay Sport and Recreation Centre and Lancelin Sport and Recreation Centre.

It is a high fire danger day for much of the west coast.

Queensland storms

Severe thunderstorms are forecast for Queensland’s Central Coast again on Wednesday.

The Bureau of Meteorology has warned of damaging winds, heavy rain, and large hail.

Mr Sharpe said many locations in the warning area, stretching from Hervey Bay to the north of Proserpine, will miss out but the isolated storms that do hit will be “nasty”.

Hervey Bay already recorded 163mm of rainfall in the 24 hours to 9 am.