Baby IT’S GOING TO BE COLD OUTSIDE
AN “icy blanket” is set to drive temperatures down to the chilly lows of winter this weekend.
Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Peter Markworth said the minimum temperatures this weekend could fall below the winter average as a trough moves from the southwest over Queensland.
On Saturday temperatures are expected to drop to a chilly low of 11C, while Sunday will be another good day to duck under the doona, with a low of 14C forecast.
“The average minimum temperature for July, which is obviously the coldest part of winter is 13.7C,” Mr Markworth said.
Mr Markworth explained the trough would “blanket most of the state”.
“That will reach up to pretty much all the way up to Cardwell, Townsville,” he said.
“(Townsville is) getting to potentially slightly below the winter conditions.
“Everywhere south of there will feel the impact of that (trough). That’s going to bring a lot of cold, particularly to southeast Queensland.”
Mr Markworth said there would be little moisture in the air, which would mean it had the ability to get quite cool.
“This could be quite a significant cold front,” he said. He said Townsville’s coldest day in May was recorded in 1957, when the mercury plummeted to 6.2C at the airport on May 23.
The change will be quite severe, with temperatures being consistent with this time of year before plummeting almost 7C below the May average in a day.
Mr Markworth said Townsville could expect minimum temperatures of about 21C for the rest of the week and pleasant maximums of up to 32C. Maximum temperatures at the weekend of 29C will, however, be marginally higher than the May average of 27.7C.
The trough will also be felt in the regions, with temperatures in Ayr forecast to drop down to 14C on Saturday, while Ingham will get down to 13C and Charters Towers 11C on Sunday.