Ferocious weather has lashed a 600-mile stretch of coastline in eastern Australia prompting emergency warnings from the authorities as snow fell in subtropical Queensland.

Residents near the town of Stanthorpe, 135 miles south-west of Brisbane, had a wintry surprise with the first significant snowfall in the state of Queensland since 2015. Forecasters said it was a “rare” event, which came just three months after Australia sweated through its hottest summer on record.

In Sydney, ferries between the seaside suburb of Manly and Circular Quay in the city centre were cancelled due to wild seas.

“Big waves and big fun” is how one passenger described the helter-skelter ride before the popular service was suspended. To the west, up to 5cm of snow blanketed parts of the Blue Mountains, prompting road closures and commuters planning to drive to work in Sydney were advised not to bother because of the treacherous conditions. Ambulance crews have responded to several car accidents, but no serious injuries have been reported.

The snow and ice has caused delays to trains in the region, but despite strong winds only a small number of flights have been cancelled at Sydney Airport.