Cold in Queensland

[Cycadcenter]

Wal, Daryl, Clayton  and all the other Queenslander's,  just wondering how you faired in the cold snap.

Just read that it only got up to 11 yesterday,  coldest in 90 years with some pretty strong winds.  We must have been about the same up in Childers as Bundy also only got up to 12.

Bruce

[Neofolis]

I just had a look a temperatures around the world today and was surprised at how cold most of Oz was.  Even Cairns is only just reaching 20°C/68°F during the day.

[epicure3]

Off the web.....

Eastern Australia hasn't seen this November cold for more than 100 years: it was the coldest November day in a century. Recall that "November" in Australian can be translated as "May" in the British or U.S. English. ;-) Nevertheless, they have had mushy snow in Canberra, a blast of Antarctic magic. A goosepimply, teeth-chattering Sydney has another reason to shake its collective head at the weather gods today.

It was the first November snow in Queensland since the records started in 1880. In fact, the latest snowfall registered on any year used to be on October 1st in 1941. Now it's November 16th, more than 45 days later

[Daryl]

Bruce, it was a chilly 15C here yesterday. Brisbane was less fortunate, and most areas north of here were cooler. Very strange weather. Even Mt Isa only reached 9C during the day yesterday, very cold for a place sitting at 20 degrees latitude.

So much for global warming!

Local weather

Daryl.

[aussiearoids]

Wet and miserable up here ,  

more than the usual winter rain  

and colder than normal as well , must be just 15C

brrrrrrrrrr gee I may have to put on a long sleeved shirt today  

[Tyrone]

(aussiearoids @ Jun. 20 2007,18:03)

QUOTE

Wet and miserable up here ,  

more than the usual winter rain  

and colder than normal as well , must be just 15C

brrrrrrrrrr gee I may have to put on a long sleeved shirt today  

Give us back our rain. Dry as a chip over here.

Cold Easterly northeasterlies too cos the whole interior is frozen solid. Tennant Creek just south of Darwin only got to 8C as a max yesterday!!!!!!

I hope QLD warms up soon. I'm doing the Gold Coast to Cooktown thing next month and I don't want it to be warmer in Perth......

Weird weather.

regards

Tyrone

[steve 9atx]

http://www.canada.com/nationa....1f4&p=4

Steve

[palmtreesforpleasure]

You Queenslanders are spoilt up there,

1000kls south it has been crazy weather 120klm wind numerous falls of 100 mills of rain, and cold temperatures, not used to having wet and cold, getting concerned about the garden, this is the worst start to winter i have seen, 5c-8c each night and only 13c  for 2 hours the other day at home, lots of 15c only days and we have not got to our cold period yet!!!

spring is going to be interesting to see what dies. more mulch  required when it stops raining, hope it helps

regards

colin

[SubTropicRay]

68F for a high in Cairns???  I would never have guessed the afternoon high could be so "chilly" there.

[Cycadcenter]

-9 c wind chill at Toowoomba on Wednesday,  now that is COLD for Queensland.

Bruce

[philinsydney]

Even Darwin only reached 23c.

[philinsydney]

Mornington Island, Gulf of Carpentaria, only 15c max?

[SubTropicRay]

There are lots of shivering palms.

[Daryl]

courtesy of weatherzone...

Many parts of Queensland experienced their coldest day on record yesterday, and the cold snap is continuing today, according to weatherzone.com.au.

The most significant records were broken across inland Queensland, where Boulia had a top of just nine degrees, its coldest day in 119 years of records. Richmond, in northwestern Queensland, reached just 13 degrees, its coldest June day in 115 years of records.

“There has been a substantial cloud band lying across most of Queensland over the last few days. This has prevented the sun from warming the ground at all, and resulted in the days just getting colder and colder,” weatherzone.com.au meteorologist Matt Pearce said.

“It is quite amazing to see such a large number of long-term low temperature records being broken over such a wide area.”

Showing just how remarkable the cold outbreak has been, the lowest maximum temperature ever recorded in the Australian tropics occurred yesterday, when The Monument, near Mount Isa, reached just 7.7 degrees.

The lowest maximum temperature for Queensland in June was also recorded yesterday, when Applethorpe struggled to just 4.9 degrees.

Brisbane had a top of just 13 degrees, nine below average for this time of year. A number of Brisbane suburbs had their coldest days on record.

“Today, we have seen the thickest cloud move to the coast, so we are seeing another very cold day in cities like Mackay and Townsville, where it has been raining all day,” Pearce said.

[Daryl]

It may be hard to imagine, but Northern Territory residents are stocking up on jumpers and blankets as they shiver through the coldest June on record.

The wild weather further south has brought unprecedented cold and steady rain to much of the Top End in what is meant to be the sunny, dry season.

With temperatures under 23 degrees Celsius, locals used to wearing thongs and shorts all year round have been wearing fleece-lined jackets and polo neck jumpers.

Some Darwin residents do not even own a jumper or jacket but the weather is making tourists from Britain feel right at home.

"I love it, it reminds me of home, because it's always cold back home," one said.

Tennant Creek and Katherine have had their coldest June days on record, but Darwin baker Rob Hartwick is glowing, because hot pie sales have gone through the roof.

"We've been busy today because of the cold weather, flat out selling pies," he said.

"People are cold so they want hot coffees and hot food."

But while pies and jumpers are in big demand, Darwin's outdoor cinema, The Deckchair, has struggled to break even.

Manager Jett Street says only hardy cinema buffs are venturing out in the cold, with blankets and doonahs.

"Even last night they braved the rain, but a lot of people set up in the kiosk area and watched it from under the shade of the roof," she said.

"One of my friends pointed out that it was probably an ideal night to come to the cinema because it's like a winter night anywhere else in Australia and they just don't get to experience it."

People are not the only ones who are suffering, with the chilly conditions also playing havoc with the digestive system of salt water crocodiles.

Wildlife expert Graham Webb says this means they cannot even eat.

"It's tough for crocodiles when it gets cold, because they can't digest food," he said.

"We operate at 36 or 37 degrees and we need that for everything to work. Crocodiles have got to get out in the sun to warm up, so their digestion and everything works.

"So if it gets really cold for a long period, they've got a real problem."

[Walter John]

I hate winter  

[happ]

Quite unprecedented  

But so long as the minimums stay above freezing you folks will be OK.  Remember sub-freezing temps in California last Jan  

[Tyrone]

(happ @ Jun. 21 2007,21:33)

QUOTE

Quite unprecedented  

But so long as the minimums stay above freezing you folks will be OK.  Remember sub-freezing temps in California last Jan  

True, for those a fair way away from the equator. But Lipstick palms grow in the main streets of Townsville, Cairns and Darwin, and when you consider that Darwin is the same distance from the equator as the Phillipines, Southern Thailand or Nicaragua, 15C at night is damn cold.

For me this winter has been far warmer than last winter so far, though dry. The coldest so far is 3.8C and 6.5C in the garden, so not so bad. June is averaging 20C too as a max. Not bad for 32S I reckon.

regards

Tyrone

[philinsydney]

There have also been some remarkable snowfalls in the Central Tablelands of NSW. I think you will find the account by Laurier Williams of an adventure by someone called George in teh Oberon area very interesting:

http://forum.weatherzone.com.au/cgi-bin....67;p=47

It will mean more to those of us who live in Australia, of course.

Incidentally, this cold air slid off the mountains and formed  a dense air mass over Sydney, preventing gale force winds from an east coast low from penetrating.

[epicure3]

So.......is it warmer today?

[Tyrone]

I'm glad it never snows here in WA. Except on those really rare occasions on the south coast, but it melts very quick even down there. I've never even seen snow before except in pictures. It must be a weird experience.

regards

Tyrone

[Daryl]

(epicure3 @ Jun. 23 2007,01:28)

QUOTE

So.......is it warmer today?

Yeah, it was only a one day event. It was real cold the following morning...5C at home, but has got back to normal daytime temps again, thankfully!

Daryl.

[happ]

(Daryl @ Jun. 22 2007,17:33)

QUOTE

(epicure3 @ Jun. 23 2007,01:28)

QUOTE

So.......is it warmer today?

Yeah, it was only a one day event. It was real cold the following morning...5C at home, but has got back to normal daytime temps again, thankfully!

Daryl.

Daryl

Is 5c/41F a record for the date?

[aussiearoids]

still fffffreezing here , been bloody cold all week  

I REALLY HATE WINTER  

[Daryl]

(happ @ Jun. 23 2007,13:47)

QUOTE

(Daryl @ Jun. 22 2007,17:33)

QUOTE

(epicure3 @ Jun. 23 2007,01:28)

QUOTE

So.......is it warmer today?

Yeah, it was only a one day event. It was real cold the following morning...5C at home, but has got back to normal daytime temps again, thankfully!

Daryl.

Daryl

Is 5c/41F a record for the date?

Pretty close...that was the coldest June temp in my garden here since I've been monitoring it (10 years)

The closest 'official' station was 2C above it's record low for June (7C vs 5.1C)

regards,

Daryl.

[Walter John]

My recently opened macarthur leaves are browned off with the experience of it all.

[PalmsZA]

Hi Aussies!

I know how you feel, we had a huge cold snap in May......maybe it takes a month for the system to move out your way, who knows?  Temps have been good lately in the mid 20's and lows around the 10c mark. I hate to tell you this but another massive series of systems is moving in to the Cape Town area today.....spreads East tomorrow. We in for another chill! All palms made it through the last one, lets see what happens this time!

Cheers

Dennis

[Tyrone]

(PalmsZA @ Jun. 25 2007,03:17)

QUOTE

Hi Aussies!

I know how you feel, we had a huge cold snap in May......maybe it takes a month for the system to move out your way, who knows?  Temps have been good lately in the mid 20's and lows around the 10c mark. I hate to tell you this but another massive series of systems is moving in to the Cape Town area today.....spreads East tomorrow. We in for another chill! All palms made it through the last one, lets see what happens this time!

Cheers

Dennis

Here in the west we missed out on the chill. I hope we don't get the next one. Did the west coast of SA get the last cold spell Dennis?

regards

Tyrone

[SubTropicRay]

I hate winter  

It's summer here but the approaching winter is a constantly annoying thought.

[Walter John]

Plenty of rain at present, temps up to 15 min with 16 max tomorrow with more rain, but from Wednesday she's getting cold again with SouWest chilly winds.

[BobbyinNY]

It's summer here but the approaching winter is a constantly annoying thought

Tell me about it, Ray.... I get depressed just thinking about it...

Sunny & beautiful up here now though (around 90f/74f respectively).. I just try to enjoy it while it lasts for the next couple months.

[SubTropicRay]

I'll make sure it's nice and humid down here next month.  Cari has to witness July at its "worst".  By the way, how was the BBQ?

[The Palm Nut]

Here in Port we have had lots of cold and wet weather for the last couple of weeks, certainly nothing that I can recall experiencing in the last 20years or so. Iam not a betting man but I bet that I will lose some of my more tropical palms this winter, kind of pisses you off abit!

Oh well thats what its all about when your pushing the limits.

Mike

[aussiearoids]

Today was the first day for about 2 weeks that it hasn't been very cold and raining . At long last I can catch up with some mowing and spray some weeds .

Mike I hope you build something to protect that massive Lipstick you have down in Port.

I'll pray for the angel of microclimates to watch over it for you :laugh:

[Tyrone]

(The Palm Nut @ Jun. 26 2007,02:56)

QUOTE

Here in Port we have had lots of cold and wet weather for the last couple of weeks, certainly nothing that I can recall experiencing in the last 20years or so. Iam not a betting man but I bet that I will lose some of my more tropical palms this winter, kind of pisses you off abit!

Oh well thats what its all about when your pushing the limits.

Mike

Hi Mike,

I've been watching the weather over your way. You've had it tough. I've been wondering how your garden is taking it. It can be psychologically demoralising to get wave after wave of crap weather. Hopefully it will pull through, and you'll get a good spring to make up for it. At least you know that what ever pulls through will be extra tough for experiencing it. Also, if this is the worst you've seen it in 20 yrs, it's most likely not going to return for another 30 or 40 yrs all things being equal.

Hang in there and keep pushing the limits. Also when you're experiencing rotten weather it's normal to think things are going to die all over the place, but I can speak from a bit of experience that it's never quite as bad as it appears mid-winter. Still, I hate winter, but if it wasn't for us guys no one would know the true hardiness of marginal species. Knowing something grows in Hawaii is not really telling the truth about a species. Grow it a 31S, 32S tells a much truer story.

Hang in there, your garden rocks.  

best regards

Tyrone

[PalmsZA]

Hi Ty

The weather did get the W coast last time and this time.......lots of snow has fallen over the interior last night, Johannesburg even got a good dusting, last time that happend was in 1981! Right now (08:45) its 16c windy and wet, I cant complain since it hasnt rained since April. I have been watering every weekend!

Cheers

Dennis

[Tyrone]

Hi Dennis,

It's a real bummer when you have to water in the cool weather. You really have to pick your time. Our rains only really started last week. We're way behind in rainfall. Today was weird. We had a min around midnight of 9C then when I woke around 6am it was 17C, then we had a top of 22C, which was as warm as Cairns today, and now it's raining real heavy. One week of rain at least they say, but no real cold temps in there.

At least we're now on the good side of the winter solstice. It can only get better now. I wish that's how it worked.  

best regards

Tyrone

[The Palm Nut]

Hi aussiearoids, I envy you living up there in Tully where you can grow pretty much everything. And for rain fall, isnt it something like 3metres a year? My lipstick is cosy within the portable hothouse, but the root system could be anywhere by now so will be interesting come spring if there is major spotting.

Cheers

Mike

[The Palm Nut]

Hi Tyrone, sounds like you are getting much better weather over there. Last night it got down to 7C, clear and sunny at the moment with the temp reaching 15C in the yard. The soil throughout the garden is as wet as it can get without having a flood. Not good. But as you said, what makes it through this winter is surely to be cold hardened.

Cheers

Mike

[Daryl]

Another miserable day here..the wind has increased, and it's a COLD wind too! Only got to about 17C today after a low of 5C in my garden. This is on top of 3 inches or rain from 2 days ago...hope nothing gets too upset about being wet and cold! I AM!

I can't wait for this winter to end...

Daryl.