Big chill hits Southeast Queensland

BRISBANE'S big chill continued this morning as the apparent air temperature dived down to a biting 1.7 degrees Celsius - and tomorrow is forecast to get even colder.

The mercury sank to 7.4 degrees at Brisbane Airport in the early hours, but the wind-chill factor meant it felt more than six degrees colder.

"The south-westerly winds which make it feel colder than it actually is when you're outside," Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Bryan Rolstone said.

He said tomorrow's actual temperatures were likely to be colder still.

"Brisbane will get to four or five degrees and the western suburbs should get down to zero and have plenty of frost about," he said.

Meanwhile, clear skies greeted residents of Stanthorpe this morning - signalling an end to yesterday's light snow.

Mr Rolstone said it was unlikely the Granite Belt would see more snow this winter - but there was plenty of frost about.

"We had just enough moisture yesterday for snowfall, sleet and some thunderstorms but that's dropped out of the airstream now," Mr Rolstone said.

"What we'll see now is drier weather and extensive frost over inland areas."

Although Applethorpe remained in positive territory at 0.6 degrees yesterday, the apparent temperature was a freezing -3.8.

Dairy farmer Wes Judd of Yangan, near Warwick, was yesterday moving about 350 head of cattle into shelter yesterday, as freezing conditions hit his farm.

"It's pretty cold," he said at noon. "I haven't taken my coat and beanie off yet."

"I just wish it would go away but it's just one of those days where you just have to grin and bear it."

Stanthorpe residents said they were sorry to see the snow go.

"It was nice to see it fall but it was basically only the outer skirts of town," said local newsagent Louise Bentley.

Relatively dry conditions are expected across nearly all of Queensland for the rest of the week.

Fog is expected on Thursday and Friday.

Winter in Idaho

Our winter has ended I hope. A few pictures of what our friends, family and us went through in our first winter in Idaho

Teddy's winter scene

Teddy and Jim are doing it tough in their first real snow winter, brrr!

Darwin - coldest day on record

BLOODY hell. Anybody would think we were in Melbourne.

Rugged-up Darwin residents yesterday shivered through the coldest daytime-high temperature ever recorded in June -- and the second equal coldest day on record in the city. At 1pm the mercury plummeted to 22.7C -- and unseasonally strong winds made it even harder to keep warm.

While southerners would probably look on in envy as they shivered though single-digit temperatures, many Darwinites resorted to pulling out their rarely-sighted winter woolies.

The daytime high was only 1.6C above the coldest day ever recorded in Darwin, 21.1C in July 1968.

Senior forecaster Kylie Egan said record lows were also set in other Central Australian and Top End communities.

In Katherine, it was almost 6C colder than the previous coldest daytime high (21.5C), with 15.8C recorded yesterday.

And in Lajamanu, about 400km southwest of Katherine, it was 12C -- 7C colder than the previous record of 19C.

In Tennant Creek, residents shivered as the mercury dipped to 8C, 5C less than the previous record of 13C.

Ms Egan said an extensive cloud band extending over northern Australia combined with south-easterly winds was to blame for the cold weather.

She said the weather bureau had been keeping records of temperatures for 65 years.

The coldest temperature ever recorded in Darwin during that time was 10.4C during the month of July.

But Ms Egan said it was always "much cooler'' in the rural area.

She predicted it would be about 26C in Darwin today, with temperatures warming up to about 30C over the weekend.
Alice Springs is forecast to reach a high of 14C today, while Tennant Creek will reach a top of 11C.

"It is well below the average across the Northern Territory,'' she said. "It is very unusual weather.''

"We should be back to our normal dry season weather of 30C temperatures by the weekend.''

The wild weather also caused rough conditions at sea, leaving one boatie stranded. His small vessel sank at Tipperary Waters. Only its mast could be seen sticking out of the water.