Nearly 100 kilometre per hour winds are battering New South Wales with experts warning more icy conditions are on the way for Australia's south-east.
The Bureau of Meteorology said the polar cold front, which caused the drop in temperature and damaging winds in four states, has now moved offshore.
However, the country's south-east will experience "a very cold and windy air mass" for the next 24 to 48 hours.
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Winds of up to 90 kilometres per hour are lashing lash NSW with the State Emergency Service warning it could cause more trees and branches to be brought down.
"Reconsider whether it's necessary for you to be on the roads, and if it is, drive to the conditions," NSW SES deputy commissioner Daniel Austin said.
"Consider that powerlines may be tangled in fallen trees. If you're at home, secure any outdoor furniture and avoid parking your vehicle under trees."
The bureau added the strong winds are making temperatures feel much lower.
The bureau warned the damaging winds may ease briefly on Thursday but another polar blast is set to hit the south-east over the weekend.
"While this system will bring more cold and snowy conditions, it will not be as windy," the bureau added.
Ski resort opens early as snow continues to fall
Perisher is set to open this weekend, one week earlier than planned as the weather event brings over 30 centimetres of snow.
The popular ski destination will open on Saturday June 4 so avid skiers and snowboarders can enjoy the fresh coating of snow.
"With over 50 centimetres of snow still to come over the next week, we're looking forward to welcoming guests back to Perisher and kicking off the season," the resort said in a statement.
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The bureau said there have been reports of between 15 to 20 centimetres of snow at Alpine resorts with more snow and blizzards forecast in the coming days.
Rhylla Morgan from Buller Ski Lifts told Today the fresh snowfall at Victoria's Mt Buller is "absolutely magical".
Australia's ski communities have struggled during the past two years of lockdowns and travel bans, and are hopeful of a resurgent 2022 season.
"There is a lot of excitement here in the community on the mountain," Morgan said.
"It's going to be a really big season, we hope.
"This is a really nice way to start."
Bookings have been strong ahead of the slopes opening, with reservations already being made through to September.
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Snowfall is also predicted to fall in suburbs as low as 600 metres above sea level.
"The coldest air will move over south-eastern regions during Tuesday afternoon and evening, with the snow level falling to as low as 600-800m for NSW, Vic and Tas," the bureau said.
Thousands without power, trees downed
Thousands of people were left without power earlier today and trees were blown down after heavy storms ripped through New South Wales and southern Queensland overnight.
About 20,000 homes on the Gold Coast and Hinterlands in Queensland were cut off from the grid this morning, while strong winds of over 60km/hr have been recorded.
Arriving flights are being delayed, cancelled and amalgamated at Brisbane Airport due to the conditions.
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However, no delays for departing flights have yet been reported.
The SES responded to at least 500 calls across NSW, while the storm system left 18,000 homes without electricity – 14,000 of them still without the lights on as of this morning.
The storm, with winds of up to 120km/hr struck everywhere from metropolitan Sydney, north to Newcastle and even Armidale, as well as Queensland's Darling Downs.
A tree fell on a parked Mercedes in Sydney's Double Bay overnight, which left residents shocked.
"It sounded like a tornado, you saw the storm coming in and it literally ripped through the gardens in three minutes maximum," a resident told 9News.
"You heard this huge crack. Yeah, it was pretty terrifying."
Queensland battered by gale force winds
Severe winds triggered traffic chaos in parts of Queensland as gusts of up to 90km/h uprooted trees, blocking roads and crushing cars in Brisbane.
Some of the worst winds were seen in the south-east region of Stanthorpe, where resident Marissa Clark's caravan was crushed.
"There were periods of haunting silence and then it would start up again, it'd be horrific," she said.
One Brisbane resident said she regretted venturing into the uncharacteristic cold.
"Freezing- my nose is literally dripping as I've been walking through here," Bec Cvilkas said.
"So windy, I don't even know what I'm doing out here."
In the Moreton Bay region, a boat was seen blown from it's mooring onto the shore.
Jonathan How from the Bureau of Meteorology said the worst of the damaging winds weren't over for the east coast.
"We will continue to see those damaging winds along the east coast of above 90 km/h potentially reaching up to 110 km/h around some of those elevated areas."
