Snow is expected to fall in Tasmania this weekend while most of the nation swelters in a heatwave.
In Adelaide, Sydney and Brisbane, temperatures between 36 and 41 degrees are expected on Saturday, prompting fire authorities to declare "catastrophic" conditions in some parts. Just after 4pm on Friday it reached 40.8 degrees in Canberra and 44 degrees in Bankstown, NSW.
![Sunrise at Coogee, in Sydney, as people make the most before the city heats up.](/web/20170210065458im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/9/q/g/x/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.guabs0.png/1486704782443.jpg)
But in Tasmania the Bureau of Meteorology predicts snow could fall as low as 1000 metres on Sunday.
The Bureau of Meteorology says there is a chance of snow at Mt Wellington in Hobart and at Liawenee and Lake St Claire in the centre of the state.
![weather mp](http://web.archive.org./web/20170210065458im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/8/l/t/e/image.imgtype.articleLeadwide.620x349.png/1486541567964.png)
Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Michael Laczko said the significant diversity in the weather between Tasmania and the mainland was unusual.
He said the reason for the heat was a bridge of high pressure "a little further north than they are usually in summer".
Mr Laczko said it was this system which was "trapping heat over mainland" while westerly winds were keeping Tasmania cool.
On Sunday gusty winds are also predicted to hit the state while any snow that does fall is not likely to settle.
In another climate contrast, Perth came close to recording its wettest day ever, after more than 110 millimetres fell in the 24 hours to 9am.