Queensland swelters through tropical heatwave ahead of severe thunderstorms

Up to 100mm of rain is expected to be dumped in parts of Queensland as residents have been told to prepare for severe weather before the heatwave returns. A cyclone watch has also been issued.

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After a sweltering weekend felt across the state, the Bureau of Meteorology is warning residents of South East Queensland to prepare for some severe wet weather on Tuesday before the heatwave returns. It comes as a cyclone watch and flood warnings have been issued that could impact the Far North.

Senior meteorologist Laura Boekel said the temperatures recorded in some parts of the state on Sunday were the highest seen in more than two years, with Taroom in the Western Downs reaching 42C, Birdsville 41.9C, Roma 41.4C and Brisbane 35.7C.

“It was for a lot of locations the hottest day since December 2020 and for some locations, it was the hottest February that we’ve seen since December in 2019,” she said.

“So that’s, three to six degrees above average for this time of year.”

From Monday, some districts can expect a reprieve from the heat in the form of torrential rain and severe storms, with the South East expected to be hit with up to 50mm of rain on Tuesday.

“So today (Monday) isolated thunderstorms are possible across Wide Bay and southern Capricornia,” Ms Boekel said.

“But from tomorrow, the severe storm risk will increase and extend to be in South East Queensland and the eastern Darling Downs,

“Within that widespread rainfall, we could see isolated pockets of severe storms which can bring heavier rainfall, large hail as well as damaging winds, so we’re encouraging residents in those areas to be across these storm warnings that will likely get issued tomorrow.

Ms Boekel added that some areas could see in excess of 50mm of rain, with some very isolated totals of up to 100mm in some areas, including the South East.

But the Bureau has warned that the heatwave is not yet over, with temperatures expected to soar again from Wednesday for Central and South East Queensland.

“The Central Coast won’t see that rainfall activity or Central Queensland really, and will continue with the heatwave,” Ms Boekel said.

“However, in the South East, that’s going to pick up again later in the week, so similar conditions to what we saw over the weekend for next weekend,

“And then along with the heat, we do have some high fire dangers in the Darling Downs and the granite belt district and the central west for the next few days.”

It comes as the South East has sweltered through one of its most humid days of the year.

At Logan, the humidity was an oppressive 97 per cent at 4am while on the Gold Coast it was 95 per cent.

Mackay was at 96 per cent relative humidity at 6.30am.

Most of the South East was sitting at more than 80 per cent relative humidity by 8am.

Apparent temperatures were pushing above 30C in Brisbane, Logan and on the Gold Coast by 7.30am with maximums expected to reach the low to mid-30s today.

Bundaberg is one of the hottest places in Queensland this morning, sitting at 32.4C at 9am, while it was 31.7C at Rolleston in Cental Queensland, 30.6C in Chinchilla on the Western Downs and 30.3C at Redcliffe.

Torrential rain is expected over Brisbane and large parts of South East Queensland from Tuesday. Picture: Ventusky

The Bureau has also issued a cyclone watch and a number of flood warnings for Far North Queensland as a Tropical Low continues to develop in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Senior Meteorologist Laura Boekel said the system is forecast to develop further near the western Gulf of Carpentaria coast on Monday afternoon and Tuesday, and may develop into a tropical cyclone as early as Tuesday morning.

“We have a tropical low currently sitting in the Gulf of Carpentaria, so that tropical low could develop into a tropical cyclone, either tomorrow (Tuesday) or Wednesday, however, the chance of that still remains at a moderate,” she said.

“So that’s a 20 to 50per cent chance that this could develop into a tropical cyclone.”

The Bureau has issued a Cyclone Watch for coastal communities from Cape Shield Northern Territory to the Queensland border, including Alyangula, and a severe weather warning is current for damaging Surf for parts of the eastern Top End.

In addition to the tropical low, a monsoon trough developing over far north Queensland is expected to cause rain, thunderstorms and strong gusty winds across the region over the coming days.

Ms Boekel added that forecast rainfall could also lead to flash and riverine flooding, with localised river, creek and steam rises, with several flood warnings currently in place in the Northern Territory and Queensland.

“We’re seeing monsoonal activity across the north of the state, so a flood watch has been issued for the Cape York Peninsula,” she said.

“Catchments up there are already wet, too saturated, so any more rainfall, we could see flash flooding or riverine flooding.”

“We could see, you know, isolated totals up to 150 millimeters or more, so some pretty heavy tropical rainfall coming with that monsoon up in the north.”

Despite being too early to accurately track the monsoon, Ms Boekel said there is a possibility it may move South, affecting parts of the Far North’s east coast.

“That monsoon trough could push south later in the week, meaning that communities further south could also see heavy rainfall,” she said.

“There is a chance that communities such as Townsville or Cairns might see increased rainfall.”

Earlier

Bureau meteorologist Livio Regano said high temperatures would trump humidity on Monday, with Queenslanders to endure another hot night before rain relief on Tuesday.

A trough is currently making its way across the Great Dividing Range and down to the south east corner with widespread storms and scattered showers helping cool down the state from Tuesday afternoon.

“Today is the last really hot day. At the moment the humidity is not much of an issue and certainly not as great as it was a couple of weeks ago,” Mr Regano said Monday morning.

“Inland temperatures are worse, places like Goondiwindi are expecting 38C today and Miles and Chinchilla will hit 39C. It will be unsurprising for places to get to 40C.

“There are storms coming that should give us some relief, but they’re unlikely today, more tomorrow afternoon.”

Overnight temperatures are forecast to sit around 25C across the South East coast, while inland areas could expect slightly cooler temperatures in the low twenties.

Mr Regano said northerly winds had slightly eased since the Western Downs fires erupted on Sunday, but were still “breezy enough” to create a high fire danger.

“We’re looking at a decent scattering of storms on Tuesday and if we’re lucky and they’re widespread enough it should dampen the fire situation,” he said.

“They’re not isolated, some places will miss out.”

Meanwhile, multiple bushfires were burning across Queensland overnight, with residents in some areas told to leave their immediately.

In the past 24 hours, 50 vegetation fires have been reported with more than 120 crews on scene battling the blazes.