Australia Weather News

Thunderstorms have swept through the southern Gold Coast and Tweed Heads, knocking down trees and causing power outages for more than 1,000 properties.

Gold Coast Airport reported 90kph wind gusts and briefly lost power, but a spokesperson said the outages did not impact flights.

However, the wild weather caused five flights to be delayed, with one diverted to Brisbane.

A large tree fell onto a car and childcare centre just south of the border at Kennedy Drive in Tweed Heads.

Local resident Di Jameson said she returned home to discover the fallen gumtree.

The New South Wales Ambulance Service said it received reports a man sitting in the car had minor glass cuts but there were no other reports of injuries.

A power pole caught on fire at Marine Parade in Coolangatta after it was hit by a falling tree.

The Queensland Fire Department said it sent two crews to Marine Parade to get the the fire under control just before 10am.

High temperatures strain grid

Temperatures are expected to remain high across much of Queensland today and tomorrow before a cooling trend kicks in for the south-east on the weekend.

Bureau of Meteorology Senior Meteorologist Angus Hines said thunderstorms may not be limited to the Gold Coast this morning with a risk of severe storms further inland with heavy rain, damaging winds, and large hail.

"The main threat for those severe storms is in the Eastern Downs and southern parts of the Wide Bay and Burnett as well," he said.

Danny Donald from Energex said the soaring heat has put strain on the energy grid and there could be more outages to come.

"Last night was a bit of a ripper. We did have at the peak about 13,500 [homes] out," he said.

Energex crews are still working to restore electricity to around 600 properties.

Severe heatwave conditions persist across much of the state with inland areas expect to reach the mid-40 degrees Celsius.

Mr Hines said it was "very warm and sticky" overnight on the east coast with high humidity and temperatures in the low to mid 20s.

"In terms of heat it's likely to be the same today with a lot of places seeing temperatures between four and 10 degrees warmer than average," Mr Hines said.

Yesterday the Gold Coast Seaway recorded its hottest day in more than a decade, reaching 36.7C just after 2pm.

Spirit of the Outback train halted

Birdsville was the hottest town in Queensland yesterday, reaching 46.5 degrees.

Windorah reached 45.9C, Thargomindah reached 45.8C, and Longreach recorded 44.4C.

Spirit of the Outback train services from Emerald to Longreach were stopped as a precaution due to the heat.

A Queensland Rail spokesperson said extreme heat can cause track defects like buckling.

Passengers were instead transported via bus.

Birdsville park ranger and Wangkangurru and Yarluyandi elder Don Rowlands said work would not stop in the heat.

"Plenty of water, get as much shade as you can, and not to work outside as long as we used to do in the past," he said.

Stay safe, look out for signs of heat stress

The Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) is asking people in affected areas to prioritise staying cool.

"Heatwaves are not really just a matter of discomfort but can pose a really serious health risk to affected communities," said Doug Buchanan, the senior operations supervisor of Metro North QAS.

"Steps people can take are really simple and really effective. Things such as sipping cool water, applying a cool towel or ice packs, having a cold shower. Those things can make a real difference."

Mr Buchanan said people should keep an eye out for signs or symptoms of heat stress or heat stroke.

"Things like dry mouth and eyes, headache, shortness of breath, vomiting, muscle cramps. It could even lead into dizziness, nausea, and tragically into seizures," he said.

"We want people to take notice of signs and symptoms early, and call triple 0."