On Sunday and Monday, May 30 and 31, 2021, southeastern Australia experienced record low temperatures, with many central areas experiencing below-freezing temperatures.
Temperatures in Melbourne, Victoria fell to 1.7 °C (35 °F), the coldest May morning in 71 years. Renmark and Adelaide in South Australia also recorded the coldest May morning since 1927, with temperatures dropping to 3.5 °C (38.3 °F).
In southeastern Australia, Sunday was frosty and temperature records were broken across the region.
Residents of the city of Melbourne woke up to the coldest May morning in 71 years and 364 days, with temperatures dropping to 1.7 °C (35 °F). The coldest May morning in the region was recorded on May 29, 1916 and was -1.1 °C (30 °F).
In Victoria, Adelaide, the temperature dropped to 3.5 °C (38.3 °F), the coldest May morning since 1927. Among the lowest overnight lows were Mount Hotham with 6.2 °C (43.2 °F), Younta with 4.8 °C (40.6 °F), Rutherglen with 4.7 °C (40.5 °F) and Horsham with 4.3 °C (39.7 °F).
Other states such as New South Wales, ACT and Tasmania also saw the lowest lows: 5.2 °C (41.4 °F) in Mount Hope, 4.1 °C (39.4 °F) in Canberra, 3.9 °C (39 °F) in Fingal and -0.3 °C (31.5 °F) in Launceston.
In South Australia, the city of Renmark recorded its coldest May morning, with temperatures dropping to -5.1 °C (22.8 °F). The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) announced a record low temperature at the city’s airport until 21:00 UTC Sunday (07:00 LT Monday).
In the early morning hours of Monday, May 31, the cities of Loxton and Lammeru recorded below zero temperatures of -3.5 and -1.1 °C (25.7 and 30 °F), respectively. Near Adelaide, Nuriootpe recorded exactly 0 °C (32 °F) and Strathalbin saw temperatures drop to 0.3 °C (31.5 °F).
