Warm winter for Coast

But best get ready for some cold Hinterland nights

THE Gold Coast is settling in for a dry and warmer than average winter as the season gets under way today.

The Bureau of Meteorology earlier this week issued its Climate Outlook for winter, predicting more clear skies and higher temperatures.

The Bureau’s David Crock said almost all outlooks released this year had predicted similar weather.

“That’s a combination of factors, climate change is certainly one,” he said.

“But you’re still getting cold mornings throughout winter months like we had this morning.

“In terms of rainfall, there’s not a particularly strong signal for the southeast, it is leaning towards drier than average.”

WeatherZone meteorologist Craig McIntosh said much of the predicted weather could be attributed to El Ninolike patterns in the region.

“El Nino tends to drag the warmer water away from eastern Australia, especially the Gold Coast, and it has done that,” he said.

“What that usually means is there’s less precipitation, clearer days.

“Those clearer days mean warmer days, more sunshine, but they can also mean clearer nights on the cooler side.

“The daytime temps should be a little above normal throughout winter, and that’s because there’s a high pressure forecast that’s got to do with El Nino as well.

“The other thing that tends to control rainfall over winter, more to the south of the Gold Coast, is what’s called an Indian Ocean Dipole.”

The Indian Ocean Dipole predicted throughout the season will see typically warmer waters cooling down, meaning drier and cooler conditions across southern and eastern Australia.

Temperatures began to drop earlier this week with meteorologists noting the second coldest May day on record.

Coolangatta hit just 3.6C, almost 11C below average.

But it’s the Gold Coast Hinterland that will suffer most in coming weeks.

“The cold fronts that have passed in the last couple days have been really strong, so that cold air does drift up,” Mr McIntosh said.

“Apart from Sunday and Monday, minimums in Beaudesert should be well below average, and days are below average too at about 21-22C.

“The minimums will be in the low single digits and up to around 10C.”