Winds of nearly 100 kilometers per hour are battering New South Wales, with experts warning more freezing conditions are on their way to southeastern Australia.

The Bureau of Meteorology said the polar cold front, which caused the drop in temperature and damaging winds in four states, has now moved offshore.

However, the southeast of the country will experience “a mass of very cold and windy air” for the next 24 to 48 hours.

Winds of up to 90 kilometers per hour are battering New South Wales, with the state’s emergency service warning it could bring down more trees and branches.

“Reconsider whether it is necessary for you to be on the roads, and if so, drive in the conditions,” said NSW SES deputy commissioner Daniel Austin.

“Consider that power lines can get tangled in fallen trees. If you’re home, secure any outdoor furniture and avoid parking your vehicle under trees.”

The office added that strong winds make temperatures seem much lower.

The office warned that the damaging winds could ease briefly on Thursday, but another polar outburst is expected to hit the southeast over the weekend.

“While this system will bring more cold and snowy conditions, it won’t be as windy,” the bureau added.

Ski resort opens early as snow continues to fall

Perisher is expected to open this weekend, a week earlier than expected, as the weather event brings over 30 centimeters of snow.

The popular ski destination will open its doors on Saturday, June 4, so avid skiers and snowboarders can enjoy the fresh snow cover.

“With over 50 centimeters of snow still to come next week, we look forward to welcoming guests back to Perisher and kicking off the season,” the resort said in a statement.

The office said there had been reports of 15 to 20 centimeters of snow at alpine resorts with more snow and blizzards forecast in the coming days.

Rhylla Morgan of Buller Ski Lifts today said the fresh snowfall at Mount Buller in Victoria is “absolutely magical”.

Australian ski communities have struggled over the past two years of lockdowns and travel bans, and are hoping for a resumption of the 2022 season.

“There’s a lot of excitement here in the mountain community,” Morgan said.

“It will be a very big season, we hope.

“It’s a really good way to start.”

Bookings were strong before the slopes opened, with bookings already being made through September.

Snowfall is also expected to fall in suburbs as low as 600 meters above sea level.

‘The coldest air will move over southeastern areas on Tuesday afternoon and into the evening, with snow levels falling to 600-800m for NSW, Vic and Tas,’ the office said.

Thousands without electricity, downed trees

Around 5,500 people on the Gold Coast and Queensland Hinterlands were cut off from the grid this morning as high winds of over 60km/h were recorded.

Inbound flights are being delayed, canceled and merged at Brisbane Airport due to the conditions.

However, no delays for departing flights have yet been reported.

The SES answered at least 500 calls across NSW, while the storm system left 18,000 homes without power – 14,000 of them still without light this morning.

The storm, with winds of up to 120km/h, battered everywhere from metropolitan Sydney, north to Newcastle and even Armidale, as well as Queensland’s Darling Downs.

A tree fell on a Mercedes parked in Sydney’s Double Bay overnight, shocking residents.

“It looked like a tornado, you saw the storm coming and it literally ripped through the gardens in three minutes tops,” one resident told 9News.

“You heard that huge crack. Yeah, that was pretty terrifying.”