Cold snap brings early snow, high wind to Australia's southeast

Winter has come early to Australia with a cold front bringing high winds, snow and hail to the southeast in a cold snap the weather bureau says could last until the middle of the week. Snow fell in Oberon, about 120 km west of Sydney, on Monday, as the weather bureau warned sheep farmers across the southeast and in alpine areas that their animals exposed to the cold wet conditions could die. Flights were delayed in Sydney after the airport closed two runways from late Sunday to just before noon on Monday due to strong winds, a Sydney Airport spokesperson said. The cold front across the southeast began over the weekend with temperatures plunging well below the average for the month, according to the weather bureau, which forecast morning frosts would linger until early Wednesday.<br/>