Large regions across Queensland are bracing for severe heatwave conditions as the Sunshine State swelters ahead of the long weekend.
The Bureau of Meteorology issued warnings on Friday for coastal areas north from Brisbane to Rockhampton, with temperatures set to soar.
Temperatures in Brisbane are expected to peak at 37C after consecutive days of hot weather, while inland areas will exceed 40C.
An extreme heatwave warning is current for the southeast coast district with severe warnings for 14 other areas spanning inland regions to the north tropical coast.
Longreach and Winton are forecast to top the charts on Friday at 46C with all townships in the central west region hitting 40C or more.
Temperatures will range from 39C to 45C in Boulia in the Channel Country.
“Those heatwaves are severe to locally extreme through much of east, central and southeast Queensland, low-intensity ongoing across parts of the west,” meteorologist Miriam Bradbury said.
Conditions would ease across the weekend but low-intensity heatwave conditions were expected to persist into next week, the bureau said.
Soaring temperatures can lead to heat-related illnesses such as dehydration, heat stroke, cramps and exhaustion.
The warnings haven’t stopped people looking to get a jump on the long weekend, with ferries to popular holiday destination North Stradbroke Island almost booked out.
SeaLink’s vehicle ferry service to and from the island is full on Friday and has one available booking late on Saturday.
“Everything is booked,” one traveller told AAP.
“It feels like most people have done that well in advance. Sitting on the vehicle ferry now, it’s brimming with passengers.”
While holiday makers will be revelling in warmer weather, severe thunderstorm warnings are likely for the Wide Bay, Burnett and southern Capricornia regions on Friday with a chance of damaging wind, large hail and heavy rainfall.
“We can’t rule out high end storms … bringing giant size hail – hail with a diameter greater than 5cm – or destructive wind gusts,” meteorologist Sarah Scully said on Friday.
The severe rainfall could lead to property damage, road closures and damage to crops in the region.
Possible severe storms have been forecast by the bureau for the Gold Coast and between Kingaroy and Moranbah.
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