SHIVER ME TIMBERS
GOLD Coasters will have to break out the jumpers and doonas this weekend as the city braces for its first real taste of winter.
Wind gusts will rise and temperatures are set to drop as low as 7C by Sunday, as a cold snap sweeps over southeast Queensland.
Weatherzone meteorologist Guy Dixon said the region would see the coldest May temperatures in more than five years.
“Most of southeastern Australia will be going through this cold snap as a cold front moves across the country,” Mr Dixon said.
“These types of fronts will become more common as we enter the winter season.”
The city will see temperatures of between 14C and 20C tomorrow, followed by 7C to 21C on Sunday.
The low temperatures will be joined by gusts of up to 40km/h throughout the weekend, bringing in an extra wind chill.
One person who is happy about the colder weather is PR Firewood owner Phil Regan, who is enjoying a spike in sales.
Mr Regan supplies firewood to Gold Coast families as well as all of Bunnings Queensland stores.
“The demand has increased as the cold snap coming up has people thinking about winter time,” Mr Regan said.
“I am expecting quite large sales through all the Bunnings stores, so we have about 300 tonnes of split firewood ready to go.”
Mr Regan believes the city should brace for a colder than normal winter.
“(I’ve been) talking a lot to the old timers who supply me timber and they are predicting a very cold winter,” he said.
“Fingers crossed for me because I like the cold.”
The cold snap will not last long, though; the cold front will move away allowing temperatures to rise to 21C by Monday. On the beaches, surfers can enjoy a small, 0.7m easterly swell.