Sub-zero temperatures as Antarctic blast hits east coast

Sydney temperatures plummeted this week with the city shivering through its coldest day in five years.

Yesterday, the highest temperature was at Sydney's Observatory Hill weather station, measuring just 13.4C at 2:23pm.

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This is the lowest daily maximum temperature since June 2016.

It was also the coldest day in five years for Bankstown (12.9C), Horsely Park (12.4C), Canterbury (13.4C) and Olympic Park (13.4C).

Impressively, Richmond (11.8C) registered its equal lowest maximum temperature in a decade.

While most parts of Australia have seen colder weather creep in over the past two weeks, meteorologist Jackson Browne told Today the drop in temperature will be noticeable in the next two days.

"We've just had a cold front move through the south-east so leaving in the wake of that a very cold air mass," Mr Browne said.

Mr Browne said Canberra will see the mercury drop to -2C tomorrow and Sunday morning, with most of the east coast also noticing the colder conditions.

"Temperatures in Brisbane will drop down to a maximum of 19C for Sunday. So, it's not terrifically cold, but it will be noticeable," he said.

Mr Browne warned that another cold front will move in next week, which will feel even more extreme than this weekend's icy conditions.

"This system looks to be very, very strong and quite a cold air mass is coming up from the Southern Ocean," Mr Browne said. 

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"We could see snowfall over central parts of NSW, possibly quite heavy in some of the elevated locations - there will be a bit more of a winter sting next week."

Elsewhere, a high is clearing through most of Queensland, Australia's interior and southern parts of WA, with a chilly morning developing into a dry but still cool day.