Polar blast to send temperatures plunging 4C to 8C below average

South east Queensland and north east New South Wales are being battered by heavy rain after a drenching overnight. The heaviest rainfall is being recorded around the Gold Coast and in Tweed, with more than 100 millimetres of rain. The SES has carried out 21 calls for help overnight as houses’ roofs gave in. The wild weather is being caused by a low pressure system that is moving out to sea.

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Patch Clapp said the temperatures will only get colder come Saturday with some frosty starts.

“Across the state it’s around 4C to 8C below the averages – except right in the Far North where Weipa is,” he said.

The cool change is coming from down south which is bringing a polar air mass.

“Most of the mornings, is just dominance from the high pressure, because of the clear nights, the winds have been generally passed over most of the state, then we will see behind that cooler winds from further south,” he said.

“We haven’t had much cloud cover, keeping the state particularly cool, so the cool air comes behind the front.”

Mr Clapp said the cooler conditions would last across the state.

“The Peninsula is about the only exception. Even from south of Mackay, north through Townsville and right up to Cairns, it is cooler, there’s not a lot of warmth anywhere in particular,” he said.

“There’s certainly no warm bump, at least in the forecast period of temperatures through to Wednesday.”

The May minimum average for Townsville is 17C. From Sunday through to Wednesday the forecast is 13C to 14C.

On Sunday, Mackay is forecast to drop to 9C which is more than 7C below average for the time of year.

Further south, Brisbane will drop to 8C from Sunday compared to its May average of 13.9C. While areas like Stanthorpe, Warwick and Granite Belt will drop around -2C.

“There is fairly wide spread frost potential right across the Darling Downs,” he said.

“Particularly Saturday is likely to probably see that most widespread.”

Mr Clapp said the frost from Saturday would go right into the middle of the following week. While on Friday would be the start of a windy day.

“Friday is still likely to be quite windy, a decent portion of south east including the Darling Downs, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast would be quite windy,” he said.

CURRENT TEMPS & 7-DAY FORECASTS