By Patrick Avenell
SYDNEY: Australian capital cities are shivering at today after a country-wide cold snap left many numbly reaching for the nearest heater this morning. Whilst cold days in June are not uncommon for Melbourne, Hobart or Canberra, even the mild climates of Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth have been affected.
The coldsnap was first felt by Sydneysiders at last night’s Socceroos match, with many supporters completely covering their gold jerseys in sheepskins. The temperature at the ground was just under 8° Celsius. If this was shock to our Bahraini guests, this morning’s recovery session in 6.1° conditions would have cramped every muscle. Last year, Sydney’s lowest temperature in June was a comparatively balmy 7.9°.
In Melbourne, the temperature has dropped as low as 5.5° over the last week, with yesterday dropping to 5.7°. Additionally, Bleak City hasn’t had the scant comfort of ineffective solar body, with an average of only 2.2 hours of sunlight per day over the last week.
Brisbane, known as the capital of the Sunshine state, and home to many who have escaped north to avoid the cold, dipped to 7.4° this morning. This makes today the coldest Brisbane day of the year, and the coldest is 19 August 2008.
In the traditionally warmer regions, Adelaide woke up to frosty a 3.5° reading on the thermometers and Perth hit a low of 4.3° yesterday.
Before anyone sympathises with the bikies and sandgropers, however, consider the plight of our politicians. In Canberra this morning, the mercury itself almost froze, with the city’s coldest June day since 2000. With a low of -5.8° this morning, it is difficult to imagine any heating product retailer not smiling over their frozen cereal.
David Pointer, the owner of Yass Retravision, based just outside Canberra, was very enthusiastic about the cold weather when we spoke to him.
“It’s really only just hit, so it’s good. It’s placed a strain on our stocks. We were well stocked, but we do have to reorder. We’re a small country town of just over 5,000, but the people have been coming in over the last week,” he said.
Pointer reported that gas heaters had been popular so far today.
All weather information supplied by the Bureau of Meteorology.