Australia Weather News

The weather divide between Queensland's north and south has sharpened this week, as those above of the Tropic of Capricorn enjoy beach weather while southerners crowd around heaters and fireplaces.

According to the Bureau of Meteorology, the north is sitting on or slightly above average temperatures for this time of year. 

Cairns and Port Douglas are forecast to reach 28 degrees Celsius on Thursday, after similar conditions on Wednesday.

On the coast north of Cairns, Ellis Beach Oceanfront Holiday Park manager Nick Giampietro said the sunshine had been a drawcard for southern travellers.

"It's beautiful, a little overcast, but people are still swimming in the ocean and the pool, getting around in their bikinis and speedos," he said.

"It's really busy at the moment. Most of our powered sites are booked.

"Being our peak season, it's chaotic up here."

Mr Giampietro said the park had been packed with people escaping the chill.

"We've got all the southerners up here getting away from the cold weather down there," he said.

Cold starts

Those who decided to tough it out in the south will have their resolve tested, with minimum temperatures forecast to stay well below average for about another week.

Oakey on the Darling Downs and the Wellcamp Airport outside Toowoomba plummeted to almost -4C just before 5am on Thursday, while Applethorpe, Dalby, Miles and Warwick all dipped well into the negatives.

Further west, Roma in the Maranoa recorded -2.3C, while Kingaroy in the Wide Bay region reached -3C. 

In the north, Mount Isa dipped to -0.3C, just 1C off record June lows.

Daniel Hayes from the Bureau of Meteorology said inland parts of southern and central Queensland would continue to experience minimum temperatures between 4 and 10C below average until Monday.

"Very clear, very dry conditions with very low humidity really allow that heat to escape during the day," he said.

"Once the sun goes down, we start radiating all that heat out — and with no moisture, no cloud, and very little wind to interfere, it's getting very cool."

Mr Hayes said frigid overnight conditions would lead to widespread frost.

"Maybe not quite as widespread into places like the Channel Country and up into the Central Highlands and Coalfields," he said.

"But we're still expecting to see a fair bit of frost through parts of the Maranoa, the Warrego, and the Darling Downs."

There is some relief on the horizon, with a trough developing in the Northern Territory that could lift temperatures in Queensland as it moves east next week.

"Probably around Tuesday in particular," Mr Hayes said.

"Then we may finally start to see a bit of an easing of those very cool overnight temperatures.

"Still probably a little below average — just less cold, rather than particularly warm."

He said the same system could even bring some rain to the far north and showers down the coast.

"Into places like the Herbert and Lower Burdekin, the northern Goldfields, Upper Flinders, Central Coast, and maybe even into the Capricornia area," he said.