Warm, dry winter ahead for Far North after lingering wet season

Morning commuters and early risers have been welcomed into winter with a chilly start to the day with temperatures in the region dropping as low as six degrees celcius.

Bill Garnaut from Cairns North snapped the sun coming up on a walk along the Esplanade on 23 April.

Morning commuters and early risers have been welcomed into winter with a chilly start to the day with temperatures in the region dropping as low as six degrees celcius.

As of 6am this morning Cairns had dropped to a brisk 14 degrees but it was elsewhere in the region where things really started to get a real chill.

Innisfail Aerodrome recorded an apparent temp of 10.3 degrees but it was a portable automatic weather station located in Ravenshoe that recorded the lowest temp in the region with early morning recordings as low as 6.8c.

Cairns lowest recorded temperature was recorded back in 1946 when it hit a low of 6.2 degrees with the lowest recorded temperatures on the tablelands almost hit freezing in 1984 dropping as low as a recorded 2.6 degrees.

Despite the cooler mornings, after a lingering wet season the weather seems to be turning around for Far North Queensland, with dry, warm conditions ahead.

Cairns can expect high temperatures hitting 27 degrees from Thursday onwards.

Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Felim Hanniffy said while temperatures would remain high throughout the week, the weekend could bring some rainfall.

“From Wednesday we’ll see warm and dry weather in the Cairns region, with temperatures just above the June average for the region — which is 26 degrees,” Mr Hanniffy said.

“We could see showers return from late Friday and into the weekend, but there won’t be much in them.

“Weekend rainfall would be highest around the Cassowary Coast with a predicted 5mm to 10mm fall, while Cairns’ weekend rainfall will be closer to 2mm.”

Mr Hanniffy said a ridge of high pressure in the Far North would bring a southerly wind flow to Cairns over the coming weeks.

“That ridge will bring a nice dry wind flow to Cairns,” Mr Hanniffy said.

“So you’ll notice a cool breeze coming through, particularly in the mornings.

“Over the next seven days morning temperatures will dip below 20 degrees, and you’ll really feel that temperature drop with the breeze.”

According to the Bureau, warm sea-surface temperatures in the Indian Ocean will bring to bring a warmer than average winter to the Far North.

“Over June and July temperatures around Cairns are forecast to remain roughly above that 26 degree average, so a warmer winter ahead,” Mr Hanniffy said.

Originally published as Warm, dry winter ahead for Far North after lingering wet season