‘Warm, sultry’: New Year’s Eve weather forecast for Brisbane

You certainly won’t need a jacket, and you could forgo an umbrella, but it might be wise to seek out air-conditioning this New Year’s Eve.

The forecast for New Year’s Eve in Brisbane is “warm, sultry and sticky”, according to the Bureau of Meteorology’s Daniel Hayes.

After Brisbane sweltered through a three-day, post-Christmas heatwave and parts of the south-east were lashed with heavy rain, New Year’s Eve revellers are set to enjoy a typical summer’s night in the subtropical city with some possible isolated thunderstorms.

A warm, humid night is forecast for New Year’s Eve in Brisbane on Tuesday.Credit: Glenn Hunt

“Sultry conditions, I think you’ll find,” Hayes said.

“It will be a warm, sticky Brisbane New Year’s, with some cloud in the sky and perhaps some natural lighting to add to the fireworks.

“You could see a thunderstorm, even if it’s not a severe one.”

A top temperature of 29 degrees is forecast for New Year’s Eve on Tuesday.

By 7pm, the temperature is forecast to cool down to 26 degrees.

A cool, easterly breeze is then expected to kick in, bringing the temperature down a little bit further to 24 degrees by midnight.

For those staying out until the wee hours of the morning, the overnight minimum is forecast to be a balmy 23 degrees, with a light southerly breeze.

“New Year’s Day should again warm up to a top of 29 degrees by the middle of the day,” Hayes said.

On Monday morning, parts of the Sunshine Coast copped 75 millimetres of rain in an hour, but conditions had eased by 9am.

“Probably the peak day is tomorrow [Tuesday] for Brisbane,” Hayes said. “The chance of rain pops up to 60 per cent on Tuesday [New Year’s Eve] ...

“But it’s going to be quite hit-and-miss. There are going to be a few thunderstorms in the mix.

“Overall, it’s going to be a little bit unsettled and partly cloudy and more humid over the next few days as well, becoming a bit more uncomfortable potentially.”

More than 150,000 people are expected to descend on South Bank and its surrounding areas as 80,000 individual fireworks illuminate the night sky from barges in the Brisbane River.

This year, the first fireworks display will be at 7.45pm – an earlier family-friendly time – and the soundtrack will be streamed for the very first time via the Cinewav app, so people can listen no matter their vantage point.

The early fireworks show will run for nine minutes, while the midnight display will run for seven minutes.

Public transport will be free from 8pm across the city until 5.30am on New Year’s Day.

Additional trains will also be operating. After the early fireworks show, trains will start running every 20 minutes, and every 15 minutes on some lines.

CityCats will stop in the river wherever they are and remain stationary while the fireworks shows are under way for safety reasons. So if you happen to be on a CityCat near South Bank when the fireworks begin, you may score the best vantage point in the city.

The Star casino will deliver a synchronised light display on the Queen’s Wharf building for the earlier show and a New Year’s Eve countdown for the midnight show.

Brisbane company Skylighter Fireworks settled on “Inspire” as the theme for this year’s display, with revellers encouraged to try to spot new fireworks styles including the hibiscus, hydrangea, and “dragon cakes” during the show.

“New Year’s Eve is about a time for reflection, renewal and growth, and Skylighter Fireworks is again honoured to be able to provide that moment for people to share,” Skylighter Fireworks project manager Dale Norris said.

Queensland police will have the power to scan or “wand” people for knives for the second consecutive year under Jack’s Law and are bracing for a busy night, particularly around the Queen’s Wharf precinct and the Kurilpa and Kangaroo Point pedestrian bridges, which will be open for the first time for New Year’s celebrations.

“We’re expecting it to be quite busy at Queen’s Wharf and we do have a police presence available for that area,” Acting Superintendent Emma Fletcher said.

“There was some anti-social behaviour, but it was a really good night last year, and we’re hoping to see the same this year.”

Get alerts on significant breaking news as happens. Sign up for our Breaking News Alert.