Brad’s remedy for deep freeze

IF you felt like the ugg boots and extra blankets didn’t quite cut it in July you could be right — Hobart shivered its way through its coldest July night since 1982.

Bureau of Meteorology climatologist Ian Barnes-Keo- ghan said Tasmania experienced a lot of very cold nights over the past month, with Launceston also experiencing its coldest July night since 1995.

In Hobart, one frosty night had an average minimum temperature of 3C, the coldest July recording since 1982.

Launceston’s coldest July night was 0.7C.

Firewood Supplies’ Brad Thompson said the cold nights had prompted southern Tasmanians to order more wood and order it earlier.

“We’ve probably sold a lot more than in other years, we’re really constant each day now,” Mr Thompson said.

“[Business] started ramping up really well in middle of June. August is normally our really, really busy month but it started pretty early this year so it’s either going to go a bit further or it’s going to drop off early.”

Mr Barnes-Keoghan said rainfall across most of the state was close to average last month, but the East Coast had remained dry. Bicheno received just 1mm of rainfall in June and 8mm in July.

Mr Barnes-Keoghan said temperatures over the next three months were likely to be above average across the state.