Extreme heatwave forecast for southeast Queensland

13/11/2014

The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting severe to extreme heatwave conditions for much of southeastern Queensland, and parts of the northern New South Wales border region, leading into the weekend.

The Bureau’s Queensland Weather Services Manager, Richard Wardle, said severe heatwave conditions will develop over southern inland parts of Queensland today (Thursday) and tomorrow.

“Heatwave conditions will continue to spread to southeast Queensland and increase to an extreme heatwave on Sunday,” Dr Wardle said.

“Temperatures are forecast to peak in the mid-40s in some inland regions, with the potential for record maximum November temperatures to be recorded in the southeast over the weekend.

“Heatwave conditions are expected to ease on Monday with a surface trough moving through the southeast,” he said.

The Bureau has recommenced its Pilot Heatwave Service which provides a measure of the intensity of a heatwave and complements the Bureau’s official temperature forecast.

The service uses a heatwave intensity index that assesses the build-up for heat over a period of time, taking into account the long-term climate of a location and the recent variability in minimum and maximum temperatures leading up to the heatwave event.