Gusty northerly winds ahead of a trough brought the heat into the city today, with the mercury stopping just shy of 32 degrees, making it the warmest day so far this month. But the heat and sunshine didn’t last long.

The temperature plummeted in Melbourne as a cold front swept through at around 3pm, with the city dropping 8 degrees in 15 minutes. Viewbank saw a five degree drop in 10 minutes as the cooler southerlies pushed in behind the front.

The cooler airmass will linger over the city during the next few days, with residents reaching for not only the jumper but the umbrella as well. Tomorrow’s peak temperature is expected to be as much as 13 degrees cooler than today’s, with showers setting in on Wednesday.

The rain will get heavier on Thursday as a low pressure trough stalls over the state. The cool southerly winds and the cloud associated with the trough will keep the temperature down and the sun out. The rain will start to ease by Friday, although showers will still linger.

The weekend also will not herald much in the way of sunshine, with showers and cloud ruining most outdoor plans.

– Weatherzone