UPDATED 3:40pm Friday NZST — A significant storm is bringing severe weather today to Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales and will bring snow, thunderstorms and severe gales to parts of these states.

The colder change will be felt for a couple of nights with big frosts inland – like around Canberra where -3C is possible on Saturday morning.

But once this storm moves through high pressure promises hotter weather. Melbourne has a high of only 11C today but will be in the mid to late 20s by the end of next week, along with Adelaide.

This is a special Australia-only weather forecast for the next 7 days + we take a quick look overseas to the Atlantic where Hurricane Lee has dramatically formed into a major storm, jumping from Cat 1 to Cat 4 in just 12 hours and is now Cat 5 (after we recorded this video Lee shifted from Cat 4 to Cat 5).

🎥🌀A storm is affecting the South Eastern corner of #Australia. Follow @BOM_au for official warnings.

This animation shows past 6 hours of satellite imagery (7:30am to 1:30pm AEST). Also lightning risk (yellow to red shading), wind direction (arrows) and rain radar (green).… pic.twitter.com/Flzwq2cscm

— WeatherWatch.co.nz (@WeatherWatchNZ) September 8, 2023

🎥🌀⚠️It's the #MelbourneStorm…well, to be fair it's also #VIC, #TAS, #SA, #ACT, #NSW, #QLD.

🕝🛰️Past 6 hours satellite imagery, rain radar, air flow.
🇳🇿9:30am – 3:30pm NZST
🇦🇺7:30am – 1:30pm AEST
🇦🇺7am – 1pm ACST
🇦🇺5:30am – 11:30am AWST

Our animation powered by Weatherzone. pic.twitter.com/2SfDyY9YrD

— WeatherWatch.co.nz (@WeatherWatchNZ) September 8, 2023