Australia Weather News

Queenslanders can expect a brief reprieve from wild weather, but the weather bureau has warned it will not last long with the state forecast to heat up later this week. 

The state has seen powerful storms, large hailstones, thousands of properties without power, trees down, and damage to homes in the south, while severe heatwave conditions persisted in North Queensland last week.

Senior meteorologist Pieter Claassen said there would be a short reprieve for southern Queensland with mostly sunny conditions, while showers and thunderstorms shifted north to central and northern Queensland.

South-east and central Queensland will start the week "quite cool", but Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast are forecast to reach 38 degrees Celsius later in the week.

"We're seeing temperatures on Thursday and Friday up to 9 degrees above average in those parts," Mr Claassen said. 

"We're likely to see severe to even locally intense heatwave conditions develop across parts of central and southern Queensland as well from mid to late in the week."

Photographer Nicole Wattz said she had enjoyed the sunshine and milder conditions at Queens Park in Toowoomba.

"Photographers can do sunshine or cloudy weather, but sunshine is always awesome," Ms Wattz said.

"I'll probably be doing lots of gardening, mowing, and catching up on all the washing that's still sitting there."

Stormy north

In North Queensland, there will be a slight chance of severe thunderstorms over the next few days with local heavy rainfall and damaging wind gusts possible in isolated cells.

"We will continue to see shower and storm activity across northern Queensland through the upcoming week, and some moderate to potentially even locally heavy rainfall possible at times," Mr Claassen said.

The Gold Coast saw wind gusts of more than 70kph in some places on the weekend, but the blustery winds across south-eastern Queensland are set to ease.

Sunday storm

An intense storm cell swept across parts of Rockhampton in central Queensland on Sunday afternoon.

Strong winds knocked down trees, and heavy rain flooded roads with residents describing it as a "mini-cyclone".

North Rockhampton resident Jay Smith said the storm was only short but extremely intense.

"It was very entertaining for the kids and made for a great family Lego arvo," he said.

The State Emergency Service responded to 29 calls for assistance on Sunday afternoon and overnight across the state.

They were mostly for fallen trees and water damage to properties.

Mr Claassen said the thunderstorm risk in southern and south-east Queensland was worth watching toward the end of the week.

"With those really warm temperatures, they can sometimes drive isolated, severe storms," he said.

Enjoying it while it lasts

Mel Carr and a group of pet owners said they would enjoy the milder Toowoomba conditions while they lasted.

"Billy and I are enjoying the weather and the company of our greyhound and human friends," she said.

"They're all rescue greyhounds so they're enjoying the attention and the love."

Tracie Booth, who was driving home to Charleville from Brisbane, said she was grateful the potholes had been fixed.

"I'd like to thank all the roads [workers] for fixing up these huge potholes between Miles and Roma," she said.

"They've been working on the roads for quite some time I think and I see the poor buggers working in the heat, and I'm thinking, 'Oh my God, thank God someone's doing it'," she said.

"It was 48 degrees out there last Monday when I got in my car after work."

She said while the roads were now good other hazards remained.

"You've still got to play dodgem cars with the kangaroos, the echidnas, the pigs, the goats, the emus," she said.