Queensland weather: 90mm downfall off Brisbane ahead of wild winds, subzero cold blast

A wild cold front is set to blast southern Queensland over coming days with damaging winds and subzero temperatures, amid the potential for a “bomb cyclone” in northern NSW.

A deep low is forming off the NSW coast with the chance it could develop into an East Coast Low. Picture: Supplied

A massive blizzard-like cold front is set to blast Queensland with damaging winds and subzero temperatures over the next 72 hours.

It comes as residents from the NSW mid coast to the Northern Rivers are being urged to prepare for a “bomb cyclone” – or “bombogenesis” – which the Bureau of Meteorology said referred to a low pressure system that formed “very quickly”, causing pressure to drop significantly within a short period of time.

Pressure is expected to drop around 23hPa in a day. Picture: Supplied

It comes after unseasonal rainfall for much of the state’s south, with 90mm recorded at Dunwich on North Stradbroke Island in the 24 hours to 9am Monday.

Other significant rainfall totals include 50mm at Coomera, 41mm at Monterey Keys south of Brisbane, and 61mm at Tweed Heads just over the border.

Damaging winds are expected along the Great Dividing Range from Tuesday while gusts could hit 40kmh in Brisbane before peaking at 50kmh on Wednesday.

The wild conditions are due to a large coastal trough that has formed off the southeast coast.

It is moving south and is expected to deepen into a low off New South Wales during the middle of this week, enhancing westerly winds in Southeast Queensland. 

A ridge will strengthen across Queensland in the wake of the trough and direct cool dry south to south-westerly winds across much of the state.

Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Daniel Hayes said after a rain-soaked Monday, conditions should be clear for the remainder of the week.

“We will be seeing an easing of conditions around the southeast – including Brisbane – later today,” Mr Hayes said. 

“As we see skies clear, it will become fairly cool across large parts of the state, including Brisbane.”

Subzero temperatures are forecast for large parts of southern Queensland this week. Picture: WeatherWatch

Brisbane’s maximum temperature will drop back to 19C on Wednesday and Thursday, but it will be far colder across the Darling Downs and Granite Belt.

Stanthorpe is forecast to drop to 0C on Wednesday morning while minimums will not rise above 1C until Saturday.

Roma’s minimums will hover around 1C for most of the week before dropping to -1C on Friday.

“We’ll likely see some of the heavier frosts in Stanthorpe and Warwick. It will also be around the Toowoomba area – although not so much Toowoomba itself,” Mr Hayes said. 

Heavy rain, intense winds and large surf could impact eastern NSW next week as a significant low pressure system develops off the coast, with potential for an East Coast Low.

Sydney could cop more than 200mm of rain in the next week, and parts of the Mid-North Coast could record up to 300mm.

However, Mr Hayes said there were no warnings in place for Queensland.

“We could see (surf impact) conditions push up into the offshore area around the Gold Coast at this stage, given that it’s expected to be a southerly surge,” he said. 

“It will likely remain mostly offshore for South East Queensland, but that is one thing that people could keep an eye on.”

Originally published as Queensland weather: 90mm downfall off Brisbane ahead of wild winds, subzero cold blast