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South-West Queensland’s Darling Downs region has recorded their coldest May morning on record today, as the temperature dipped below -5.6 degrees Celsius in Oakey around 6.30am.
Although with the wind chill and other factors, meteorologists say the temperature on the ground would have felt more like -9.5 degrees.
According to data from the Bureau of Meteorology, this is the coldest May morning on record for the town, just west of Toowoomba, with the previous low set in May 2019.
As Western Queenslanders know, this kind of fucked up is far from the pleasant ‘puffer vest weather’ that is currently being experienced further south, as residents are reminded that the extremities of both heat and cold in the inland regions makes it near impossible to build a home capable of adapting to both.
Unsealed timber Queenslander houses throughout the inland regions currently have their bar heaters on full bore this morning, as the ‘Sunshine State’ dips to temperatures that would result in front page news throughout the UK.
However, local parents dropping their kids off at school this morning could be forgiven for thinking it is just another mild Autumn morning, as Western Queensland primary students just cop it sweet.
Schoolyards right around the state are currently hosting chattering huddles of kids gathering outside the AC exhaust vents behind the faculty room, covered in goosebumps, as the ‘winter uniform’ of sleeveless fleece jumpers struggle to fend off this almost Scandinavian cold front.
However, with the midday sun blaring down, the mercury has gradually bumped up above zero – a more than manageable temperature for school shorts and socks.
While Queenslanders are generally allowed one day of whingeing about the weather, the post-pandemic tree-changers from Melbourne have been rattled to their core, and are now toying with the idea of heading back to the warmer climate of Prahran and Carlton.
