Australia's weather has been highly volatile during the past fortnight, and this weekend will serve up another smorgasbord of atmospheric variability.

For southern Queensland and New South Wales, a burst of heat will fuel thunderstorms ahead of a gusty cool change which will drop temperatures by as much as 15 degrees Celsius in 24 hours.

Further south, the change has already arrived. Melbourne will shiver in temperatures barely above 10C today and snow is on the forecast for the mainland alps tonight.

And while winter pays a late visit to the south, the wet season is moving up a gear over Australia's north with thunderstorms ahead from the Kimberley, through the Top End to tropical Queensland. Loading...

Weekend storms bring hail, wind and flood threat

A trough of low pressure has

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