No, you're not imagining it. Australian homes are *exceptionally* cold right now.

The cold weather seems to roll around quicker every single year. Our coats get pulled out of their vacuum storage bags, the emergency umbrella gets stowed into our handbag and, more importantly, the extra doona (or the electric blanket) comes out of its spot, squirreled away at the back of the linen cupboard.

In fact, if you've been freezing your absolute butt off lately, that's probably because Australia truly is exceptionally cold right now. Thanks to clear skies and icy winds on Sunday morning, some parts of the country faced their coldest temps of the year, and our teeth are chattering just thinking about it.

But according to some, where we feel the cold most of all isn't while walking home at night, or when the rain is pounding outside — it's inside our homes.

And thanks to a viral TikTok video by a Canadian living in Australia, we now know that it actually really truly is much colder inside than it is out.

Nope, Australians are not being dramatic when they say the homes Down Under are freezing in the winter. In fact, according to sustainability author, consultant, speaker and UN advisor John Pabon, Aussie homes are among some of the coldest in the world. 

It all began when content creator Alexandra Tuohey, who lives in Victoria, said that the coldest she's ever been is "living in a Melbourne share house in the middle of July".

Watch the full video here. Post continues below. 

"The most messed up part about living in Australia is that people genuinely say to me, 'Oh, you're Canadian, so you shouldn't be able to feel the cold,'" she said in the now-viral video, which has amassed more than 74,000 likes and 2,000 comments.

"But I can confidently tell you that the coldest that I have ever been is living in a Melbourne share house in the middle of July. And lying in my own bed trying to fall asleep, being able to see my own breath, while only being able to warm myself with a tiny space heater and an electric blanket.

"I don't know why everyone in Australia was like, 'Let's not insulate our houses, let's all put on a Kathmandu jacket and call it a day.'"

Alexandra also said, "Aussies, especially older ones, are so dead against heating and clothes dryers, it's so unhinged."

And respectfully, yes. Hard agree. 

John Pabon, who is American living in Melbourne, also agreed. But he went one step further to explain WHY.

"When Australians complain about their houses being cold during the winter, they're not just having a whinge, it's scientifically proven," he said.

@johnapabon #stitch with @alexandratuohey It's almost winter in Australia, which means most of us will have to contend with houses colder on the inside than temps are outside. The World Health Organization consistently ranks Australian homes as some of the coldest in the world. For a home to be considered "warm" it must be above 18℃ inside. Yet studies have shown 81% of Aussie houses fail to meet that minimum standard. 🥶 Tasmania fared worst, with homes averaging 11 degrees during the winter. 😰 Over a quarter of Victorian homes fell below 14 degrees. ☃️ And for any Queenslanders, sorry but the report didn't survey your homes (even though, yes, I know they can get brutally cold too). But this isn't just an excuse to complain. It's actually a health and safety issue. Colder homes are dangerous for elderly and at-risk populations, increasing likelihood of hypothermia and potentially death. Lower temperatures are also perfect for mould and rising damp. As climate change impacts weather around the world, issues like these are going to become even more apparent. Regulation, while long overdue, must now be fast-tracked to prevent the worst of outcomes. #aussielife #aussiewinter #worldhealthorganization #australia #melbournelife @Jordie van den Berg ♬ original sound - Sustainability made simplejohn

"The World Health Organisation consistently ranks Australian homes as some of the coldest in the world," he said. 

"They have a metric that says for a house to be considered 'not cold' it has to be above 18 degrees inside. Well, Aussie houses, they totally miss the mark."

First, why? And also, yikes.

As it turns out, 81 per cent of homes in Australia do not meet the WHO minimum standard for 'not cold', with Tasmania having some of the chilliest homes at an average temperature of 11 degrees inside during the winter. 

In Victoria, more than one-quarter of homes are no more than 14 degrees inside. And we're shivering just thinking about it.

"This has massive implications on physical health, on mental health; [it] increases the amount of mould that can occur in a house when things are this cold," John continued. "Especially for people that are renting, that don't own their own homes, it's a massive issue."

Look, it's a bit disappointing that this seems to be the case for most Aussies, but at least we can say that we weren't actually crazy when we were having a cry about how cold our houses are.

So the next time someone tells you that you're being dramatic, or to "just put on a jumper" when you next complain about the arctic temps in your home, just show them this article and bask in the vindication. It won't keep you warm, but at least you'll be right? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Feature Image: Getty.

This article has been updated with new information.