Weekend brings chance of warm days

TOOWOOMBA temperatures will return to normal this weekend after a chilly start to the week.

The Bureau of Meteorology forecasts Sunday and Monday will be the warmest days, with wind speeds to increase to 20 – 30kph come Tuesday.

Overnight minimums are also set to hover close to average, and there is minimal chance of rain.

The University of Southern Queensland Applied Climate Sciences Centre research fellow Dr Chelsea Jarvis said warmer evenings could be expected this season.

“June to August for the Downs area, there is a 60 to 70 per cent chance of exceeding the median rainfall, which is about 87mm,” Dr Jarvis said.

“Overnight temperatures are meant to be above average but day-time temperatures are hovering around average at this point.

“So it’s likely that overnight it will not get as low as you would expect – however this is a seasonal forecast and it doesn’t take in fluctuations by day.”

Ms Jarvis added it was hard to predict how the season would affect the likelihood of snowfall.

“Even if we exceed minimum overnight temperatures in Stanthorpe and down on the southern end of the Granite Belt, even though it’s warmer than usual, it still might get cold enough to snow,” she said.

“If there is an increased chance of rainfall when there is that moisture around, so if it does get cold enough, it’s likely there will be moisture there for it to snow.

“However, that said, they are predicting warmer than average overnight temperatures, which is when we would expect it to snow – so it’s a catch 22.”