June temperatures in Queensland dropping to lowest in more than a century, Australia

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has warned residents living in southeast Queensland of frosty mornings and single-digit temperatures throughout the month as well below June average temperatures descend over much of southeast Australia. Some parts of the state are experiencing their lowest June temperatures in more than 100 years.

“It‘s usually the last week of June that we get temperatures as cold as this, so it’s unusual to have it this cold at the start of June,” Meteorologist Helen Reid told NCA NewsWire.¹

“We‘re still looking at temperatures well below the June average.”

Winter is already present in southern Queensland. This week cool, dry air will make its way across the north of #QLDweather. Temperatures will be well below average for daytime and overnight. Frosty conditions expected for the southern interior. Details https://t.co/8QnIc7aRJZ pic.twitter.com/s10Z2pMrZe

— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) June 7, 2022

The coldest parts of the state on June 7 were down on the flat country in Darling Downs, with some areas sitting at 1 or 2 °C (33.8 – 35.6 °F), Reid said.

The cold spell is expected to last at least a week, with another cold wave expected to sweep in from the southern states next week.

“A conveyor belt of cold fronts will maintain bitterly cold, wet and windy weather over southeastern Australia throughout the 2^nd week of winter,” Weatherzone’s Ben Domasino noted, adding that Australia’s southeastern states have been stuck in a pattern of frequent cold fronts since the end of May, keeping temperatures a few degrees below average on most days this past week.²

“This spell of wintry weather now looks likely to continue for at least another week, as a near-stationary low pressure system in the Tasman Sea drives icy air from the fringes of Antarctica over southeastern Australia.”

The system caused widespread showers and heavy alpine snow, with some areas like Mt. Hotham, a Victorian ski resort, receiving a whopping 44 cm (17.3 inches) in just 24 hours on June 5 and 6.

In 7 days to June 8, the resort recorded 91 cm (35.8 inches) of snow of the season’s 133 cm (52.3 inches) total. Snow depth at the time is 93 cm (36.6 inches).³

Continuous heavy snow was also reported across NSW, Tasmania and the ACT.

References:

¹ ‘Well below June average’: Freezing temperatures rip through parts of Queensland – News.com.au – June 7, 2022

² Rug up! More cold fronts bound for southeastern Australia – WeatherZone – June 6, 2022

³ Snow and weather report for Mt Hotham – June 8, 2022

Featured image credit: TropicalTidbits, GFS