Perth residents had a rudely cold awakening with the mercury falling to a low of 3C on Saturday morning.

Although winter isn’t officially here, it certainly said hello, with the temperature falling to about 5C in the CBD, 3C at Perth Airport and Jandakot and just 1C in Gingin.

Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Joey Rawson said that the past few days had been particularly chilly due to a cold front.

“We’re currently in a cooler pattern but overnight temperatures should stay between about 6C and 10C,” Dr Rawson said.

“We had a high-pressure system that brought light winds and clear skies. Clouds act like a blanket, so when they disappear, temperatures can drop significantly.

“It makes for cold nights like the one we just had.”

On Sunday, Perth can expect partly cloudy conditions, with a low of 8C and a high of 22C

For surfer Leila Davis, a thick wetsuit was needed on Saturday morning.

“It was lovely easterly winds, with some real fun little waves so it was great to be out.

“I can’t pretend it wasn’t really cold, I will definitely need to find the winter wetsuit.

“It’s hard to stay out long, even if the swell is great when its so cold,” she added.

However, there is some good news for folk who are not quite ready to kiss goodbye to clear skies and sunny weekends.

“The next week is looking near perfect — cool nights and really nice warm days around 22C to 23C,” Dr Rawson said.

“It’s shaping up to be a really idyllic autumn week across Perth.”

Across metro Perth, Monday will be partly cloudy with a low of 10C and a high of 22C.

The sun will be out on Tuesday and Wednesday, with expected lows of 10C and highs of 23C.

Thursday and Friday will cool down slightly, but will remain sunny. Both days will have a low of 9C and a high of 22C.

Next Saturday will continue the Perth-fect autumnal trend with a forecast low of 10C and a high of 23C.

Forecasts sourced from the Bureau of Meteorology.