Apparent temperatures as cold as -7.1C as freezing conditions continue

Southern Queensland’s big freeze continued this morning, with the mercury plunging to a ‘feels like’ temperature of -7.1C. A 1,600km ‘frost blanket’ is expected this week.

Southern Queensland has again woken up to freezing conditions, with the mercury plunging to as low as minus 3.9C with a 1,600km ‘frost blanket’ also expected in days to come.

Roma was the coldest spot in Queensland this morning at minus 3.9C - but for anyone stepping outside it would have felt more like the apparent temperature of -7.1C.

It was a similarly chilly -4.1 ‘feels like’ temperature in Charleville.

Towns across the Darling Downs and Granite Belt dropped below 0, with apparent temperatures of -6.8C at Oakey, -5.1C at Wellcamp and -4.9C at Warwick and -5.1C at Applethorpe.

The single digit temperatures were widespread across the state’s north and central west, Wide Bay and Burnett, Central Highlands and north to Ayr.

Closer to Brisbane, an apparent temperature of 3.5 was recorded at 5.30am. The actual temperature at Brisbane Airport was a slightly warmer 5.3C.

West of the city at Amberley, it was 0.6C, but felt colder.

A frosty morning out at Stanthorpe. Photo: Diamondvale Cottages

The single digit temps continued on the Gold and Sunshine coasts, with anyone looking for a sunrise shot facing 7.8C and 4.9C respectively.

Widespread frost from the Darling Downs to as far north as the Atherton Tablelands is set to chill much of the Sunshine State this week causing actual temperatures to drop into the negatives.

Meteorologist Harry Clark said Thursday and Friday were shaping up as the coldest days of the week on the back of the widespread frost.

Mr Clark said temperatures were forecast to drop as low as -2C, or colder, in many parts of the Darling Downs on Thursday.

“Queensland’s minimums and maximum temperatures will be about 3-5C below the July average,” Mr Clark said.

“It’s not extremely cold and not record breaking but it’s persistently below average temperatures.”

Mr Clark said showers were predicted to develop overnight on Tuesday with falls of 15mm for the Sunshine Coast and Wide Bay regions.

He said the showers were tipped to clear by Wednesday and replaced with quite windy conditions to drop the maximum daytime temperatures.

Mr Clark said much of the state was expected to wake up to frost, including parts of the Atherton Tablelands where frost is recorded only about twice a year.