British woman 'can't cope' with 'freezing' Aussie weather as temperatures plummet
Sophie Williams, who's living in Sydney, compared this week's icy weather to a 'lovely Spring day' in the UK.
Part of the Aussie appeal is the much-loved summer weather, with days spent basking in the sun at iconic beaches or in parks attracting travellers worldwide. But it seems most who move Down Under aren't quite prepared for our chilly mid-year climate, with expats, especially Brits, often complaining of freezing conditions — especially this week.
"I didn't realise climatisation would be a thing," said Sophie Williams, a British woman living in Sydney. Sat on her couch on a chilly 11-degree day this week, she admitted she was "freezing".
However, the same conditions in the UK would be a "lovely spring morning," she revealed adding she "couldn't cope" with the frosty mornings this week, resorting to wearing thermals and a coat inside her home.
Coldest Aussie morning so far this year
On Monday, Aussies shivered through the coldest morning so far this year as a chilly polar air mass swept over the east coast. Temperatures plummeted across parts of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, and in Canberra and Tasmania, with Sydney waking to a chilly seven degrees in the city — a cool change set to stick around.
In the country's southeast on Tuesday, temperatures dropped below zero degrees through the night, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. The west coast however has seen an "unusually warm and dry May with max temperatures 3 to 5 degrees celsius above average for this time of year.
Australia has 'different kind of cold' to UK
Shocked, the 30-year-old said, "I don't know how I ever lived in the UK" where temperatures can drop to below zero — it's significantly colder than in Australia. "I've only lived in Australia for six months," she said, struggling to understand "how people live in four degrees," conditions she was used to back home.
Others agreed it's a "different kind of cold here" with one admitting the cooler months "kill me". "You can’t go home now," another joked suggesting the UK weather would be too cold. Others blamed "terrible insulation in housing" for feeling the cold more in Australia.
Expats disappointed by cold Aussie winters
The weather has long been a hot topic among expats living in Aus. It's a common misconception that Australia is always hot and sunny, with scores of travellers moving Down Under often sharing their disappointment.
Last month, a Norwegian expat living in Melbourne admitted "Australian winters are the worst". It was only April, halfway through Autumn, however, at the time she said she revealed she "can't feel my fingers".
This week, a Canadian woman admitted "the coldest I've ever been was living in a sharehouse in Melbourne," she revealed in a clip on TikTok. She said people often assume she'd be "used to" the cold considering the climate of her homeland.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
