Southern and central Queensland experienced its chilliest morning of the year, with temperatures plunging below zero in various rural areas. The cold snap, described by Bureau of Meteorology Senior Meteorologist Jonathan How, has resulted in temperatures nearly 10 degrees lower than the seasonal average across parts of the state.
This morning, Coolangatta Airport recorded a low of just 4.8°C, while the Sunshine Coast saw a temperature of 5.1°C, and Brisbane reached a minimum of 10.7°C. Roma was the coldest spot, hitting -3.6°C, followed closely by Charleville at -2°C, and Wellcamp, Miles, and Oakey all at -1°C.
How pointed out that this cold air mass has travelled from inland areas to the coast and is anticipated to move northward. He predicted widespread frost could be seen from the New South Wales border extending toward areas like Longreach tonight. This cold weather pattern is expected to persist through the rest of the week, with the risk of more low temperatures extending to places like Mackay and Burketown, where single-digit minimums are likely by the weekend.
Further north, locations such as Richmond, Longreach, and Winton may experience mornings that are considerably colder than the average for this time of year, dipping by as much as 10 degrees. However, there is a silver lining: the cold temperatures are heralding clear, sunny days ahead. Brisbane and most of southern Queensland are forecast to remain dry over the next week, with any potential rain confined to the state’s tropical north.