July 4th 2024.
The recent cold spell in southern Australia has been intense, breaking weather records left and right. While many people are grumbling and struggling to stay warm in the frigid mornings, it's important to remember that there are others who have it even colder. For instance, spare a thought for the two brave souls living in Liawenee, the coldest inhabited place in all of Australia.
Located in the central Tasmanian highlands, this tiny hamlet is famous for its trout fishing and boasts a population of only two people. Yes, you read that right - just two! Both of them are government employees, one working as a police officer and the other as an Inland Fisheries Service officer. It's no wonder there aren't many residents in Liawenee, given the chilly climate.
This morning, the temperature in Liawenee dropped to a bone-chilling -13.5 degrees, but with the wind chill it felt more like -16 degrees, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. This is a regular occurrence for the town, which is often the coldest place in all of Australia. In fact, this morning it set a new record for the lowest temperature ever recorded in July in Tasmania, according to Weatherzone. In case you were wondering, the second coldest temperature ever recorded in Australia was also at Liawenee in August 2020, when it reached -14.2 degrees. The title for the absolute coldest temperature in Australia, however, belongs to Charlotte Pass in the NSW Snowy Mountains, where it plunged to a bone-numbing -23 degrees in July 1994.
Despite the freezing conditions, Liawenee is a charming little town that was once a hydro village. It sits near Tasmania's Great Lake and is a popular spot for trout fishing events. Hobart-based photographer Gill Dayton is a frequent visitor to Liawenee and recently captured some stunning photos of the frost-covered scenery. "It's the first time I've seen a frost that thick, and it lasted all day," she told 9news.com.au.
While the mornings may be cold, Dayton noted that the lack of wind makes the temperatures "quite bearable." In fact, once it reaches around zero degrees, it almost feels like T-shirt weather. So, while the cold mornings may be caused by a combination of factors such as a large mass of cold air, clear skies, and light winds, the residents of Liawenee are taking it all in stride. And according to forecasters, the bitterly cold temperatures will continue for the next few mornings due to a high-pressure system over southern Australia. Stay warm out there, Australia!
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