Autumn heatwave on way
QUEENSLAND will swelter through an autumn heatwave this week with 42C maximums and temperatures 6C above average.
Brisbane will hit 35C on Friday after a run of days in the low 30s, Ipswich will get to 36C while Birdsville will bake in 42C temperatures on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Toowoomba is forecast to reach a high of 28 today, rising to 30C on Thursday and 32 on Friday.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s Danny Teece-Johnson said the hot conditions were due to strong northeasterly winds driving tropical air down from the north.
“This week we’ll see a bit of a warming trend … as breezes bring the warm air down,” he said. “… there will be a little bit of humidity in that as well.”
Mr Teece-Johnson said the humidity would not be as bad as that experienced across South East Queensland at the weekend when severe storms hit.
“The night time temperatures are not going to get too crazy though, they’re still staying down in the low 20s … we won’t have those really warm, balmy nights thankfully.”
Mr Teece-Johnson said Brisbane’s average for this time of year usually sat at 29-30C, making Friday’s scorcher 6C above average.
“And obviously it’s always a little bit warmer in the hinterland areas around Ipswich and Lockyer Valley, that sort of area will be a bit warmer,” he said.
“They don’t get any of the sea breezes in the hinterland; the heat gets trapped in there at the foot of the mountain, so it’s always a bit warmer there where it percolates.”
Yesterday, it was expected to get to 30C across the southeast with a slight chance of showers, with similar conditions expected on Wednesday before temperatures climb slightly on Thursday.