Weather watch: Temperatures to plummet across state as Downs records coldest temperature in Queensland

Temperatures have dropped across Queensland with a polar blast is causing the mercury to plummet. While Queensland freezes into August, one Darling Downs town has recorded the coldest temperature in the state.

A Western Downs town has recorded the coldest temperature in the state as the mercury continues to plummet in regional Queensland.

A polar blast from Antarctica has again swept into Queensland overnight, with temperatures plunging to the negatives and reports of frost being prevalent across the state.

Dalby, west of Toowoomba, recorded a −4C shortly before 6am on Monday, one of the coldest days since the town recorded it’s record coldest July day of −5.8C more than a century ago.

Weatherzone’s Ashleigh Madden said the frigid air mass that originated from Antarctica had arrived behind a cold front that would linger well into this week.

In southern Queensland, Warwick is expected to shiver to −3C overnight on Tuesday and Wednesday, with frost expected across the wider region.

The Bureau of Meteorology predicts for the majority of Queensland minimum temperatures well below average across much of the state, particularly in central and southern Queensland, while maximum temperatures will be slightly below average until about Thursday.

“Tuesday is likely to be the coldest morning, with a temperature of −5C forecast in Dalby,” the Bureau of Meteorology’s Pieter Claassen said.

“The entire week will see cold frosty mornings in central and southern parts though, with cool mornings extending to the northeast (areas south of about Ingham, including around Townsville) from Tuesday.”

TUESDAY FORECASTS:

Bundaberg 5-21C

Sunny. Light winds becoming south to south easterly 15 to 25 km/h in the morning then becoming light in the evening.

Dalby−5-18C

Sunny. Areas of morning frost. Light winds becoming southerly 15 to 20 km/h in the middle of the day then becoming light in the evening. Overnight temperatures falling to around minus 3 with daytime temperatures reaching around 18.

Toowoomba −1-17C

Patchy morning frost. Winds south-westerly 15 to 20 km/h tending southerly in the morning then becoming light in the late afternoon.

Rockhampton 3-21C

Sunny. The chance of morning frost. Light winds becoming south-easterly 15 to 20 km/h in the middle of the day then becoming light in the early afternoon.

Roma −4-18C

Sunny. Morning frost. Light winds becoming south to south easterly 15 to 20 km/h in the morning then becoming light in the evening.

Warwick −3-18C

Sunny. Areas of morning frost. Light winds becoming southerly 15 to 20 km/h in the middle of the day then becoming light in the evening. Overnight temperatures falling to around minus 3 with daytime temperatures reaching around 18.