Cold snap to bring chilly winds and subzero temperatures to southern Queensland

Wild westerly winds and subzero temperatures are expected as a rapid-fire cold snap sweeps southern Queensland.

Wild westerly winds are forecast for much of southeastern Australia tomorrow. Picture: Weatherzone

A rapidly moving cold front is set to sweep across southern Queensland bringing subzero temperatures to the Granite Belt and Darling Downs, and vicious Ekka-like westerly winds to Brisbane.

After many parts of South East Queensland were blanketed in fog this morning, a broad low pressure trough will sweep into the state overnight bringing with it a ridge of cold air.

Westerly winds up to 40kmh – similar to those typically experienced during the Ekka – are expected in Brisbane and across the southeast Wednesday morning.

Temperatures are forecast to plunge this Friday. Picture: Weatherwatch.net.au

However, the winds will quickly drop to up to 20kmh by the afternoon, before a ridge of cold air sends temperatures plummeting.

Stanthorpe is forecast to get down to -1C on Friday, while it could be 0C in Warwick and Goondiwindi. Gatton and Ipswich will get as low as 5C while it will be 4C in Boonah and 10C in Brisbane.

The Bureau of Meteorology’s Daniel Hayes said large parts of southern Queensland would be impacted by the gusty winds.

“We often get those stronger westerly winds for the Ekka that we’re looking at tomorrow, but it won’t last very long,” he said.

“At least for a day it’ll be similar to what we get during the Ekka, with regards to the strength of the westerlies.”

Frost at Leslie Dam near Warwick earlier this month. Warwick is expected to drop to 0C on Friday. Picture: Higgins Storm Chasing

Mr Hayes said the full effect of the cold blast would not be felt until Friday.

“Around southern Queensland, we will get some quite cool air moving in and quite a bit more frost extending across parts of the southern inland,” he said.

“As we head into Friday we will likely see some negatives around parts of the Darling Downs and maybe into other parts of the southern inland, forecasting -1C at Stanthorpe on Friday morning, 0C at Goondiwindi and Warwick, and 1C at Dalby.

“It’ll be a fairly short lived cold snap this time.”

Mr Hayes said there could also be rain around for the start of the school holidays.

“As we head over the weekend, we’ll start to see some more shower activity, a bit of a cloud band developing,” he said.

“So anybody who’s planning to escape winter and come north will probably have a little bit more shower activity over the weekend and into the early part of next week, but that should largely be clearing up as we head into Tuesday and the rest of next week.”

The cold snap comes after Queensland’s coldest start to winter in 16 years.

Originally published as Cold snap to bring chilly winds and subzero temperatures to southern Queensland