Meanwhile, Mt Hotham woke up shivering to a freezing -5.4C just before 5am, passing the previous record of -5.2C in 1978.
A sweeping low-pressure system and strong southerly winds meant Melbourne was one of four capital cities had minimum temperatures of below 10C.
Frost mornings were woken up to in the ACT, as well as the Victorian high country and parts of Tasmania’s Central Plateau.
Sky News Weather meteorologist Alison Osborne told News Corp there was a “vigorous gale blowing along coastal areas”, which would create dangerous surf conditions as far north as Newcastle.
“Residents along NSW beaches south of Seal Rocks are being urged to keep away,” she said.
“Surf could exceed 5m by the afternoon – it’s quite a dangerous situation with very powerful waves, and it’s not safe being at the beach at all.”
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