BOM warns record-breaking temperatures set for Queensland this week

Extract from ABC News 

By Talissa Siganto

Updated 55 minutes ago

Photo: Brisbane is predicted to hit 37C on Thursday, while Longreach may hit 41C on Wednesday. (AAP: Dave Hunt - file photo)

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Temperatures across the state are set to climb again this week, with parts of Queensland tipped to experience more record-breaking days.

Brisbane is expected to reach the high 20s on Tuesday and Wednesday but is due to peak at 37 degrees Celsius on Thursday — almost two degrees hotter than its highest-recorded September day.
Temperatures for the city are set to drop slightly on Friday but will remain in the low to mid 30s until early next week.
The mercury is also expected to soar in Ipswich, with a maximum of 40C predicted for Thursday — more than three degrees higher than the record for the month.
Similar conditions have been forecast for both the coasts, with the Gold Coast tipped to reach a top of 32C on Thursday and the Sunshine Coast reaching a maximum of 35C on the same day.

Scorching days for outback Queensland

In western Queensland the temperature is expected to be even higher, with 41C predicted for Longreach, Winton and Cunnamulla on Wednesday.
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Rick Threlfall said the conditions were uncommon for this time of year.
He said the summer-like weather was due to the lack of rain.

"We haven't seen any rainfall for a long period of time so all the sun's energy goes into heating up the atmosphere rather than evaporating any moisture on the ground," he said.

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"The dry winter and early start of spring does help these temperatures to get well above average for this time of year."
Mr Threlfall said a number of records had already broken over the weekend, including in Gatton in north-west Queensland where it reached a top of 38.7C on Sunday.
On Monday, Amberley reached 38.2C — its warmest September day in more than 70 years.
More records are expected to tumble by the end of the week.
"On Wednesday it looks likely that [will be] over the southern interior of the state, down towards the border of New South Wales," Mr Threlfall said.

"On Thursday that shifts into the south-eastern corner of the state. It could be any class of records in Ipswich, maybe Gatton and maybe inland parts of the Sunshine Coast, as that hot air moves in."