Australia has been shivering through cold temperatures this week, and not even the tropical north has been spared. 

The Northern Territory recorded its chilliest morning of the year on Monday at 14.5 degrees, 5 degrees below average, leading to the rare site of jumpers and jackets in the territory capital.

The veritable polar blast prompted one resident to tell Channel Nine news he had been forced to turn off the air-conditioner and now only had the fan running.

Brisbane has failed to warm to 20 degrees for four days in a row, making it the equal longest spell below that temperature since 2008, according to WeatherZone.

Sydney recorded its coldest June day in five years yesterday with a minimum of 13.7c.  Earlier this week Glen Innes dropped to – 10.2 degrees to record its coldest June temperature in six years, while Cooma recorded – 5.3 degrees and Gunnedah – 5.7c.

Temperatures across inland Victoria were expected to drop well below zero last night with widespread frost warnings in place across the region.

An upper level trough produced a large area of cloud that has brought some falls between of up to 25mm across parts of coastal and southern inland Queensland and northern NSW in recent days.

Dick Whitaker from the Weather Channel said widespread coastal falls of 25 to 50 mm were expected over the next 48 hours in the region, with lighter totals extending over the adjacent inland.

A cold front moving east from Western Australia is expected to produce another cold outbreak across southeast Australia on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with significant snowfalls likely across in New South Wales and Victorian alpine areas.

This week's Blackall cattle sale has been cancelled because of wet weather,