Fires have been banned in the Scenic Rim and Ipswich as large swathes of Queensland are on high alert for bushfires amid hot, dry and windy conditions.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services imposed the ban on the South East region over the weekend, which also included the Gold Coast, Logan, Lockyer Valley and Somerset areas.
A fire ban was also put in place in the Northern Region covering the areas of Burdekin, Charters Towers, Hinchinbrook, Townsville and Whitsunday.
In the South East, temperatures are set to soar to the high 30s on Monday, with Ipswich set for a maximum of 37 degrees, Boonah 36°c and Beaudesert 35°c.
Bureau of Meteorology’s Rosa Hoff said a trough passing through the South East on Monday afternoon would bring dangerous fire conditions.
“We have some really hot temperatures around that way, in some places very hot, and with the dry winds picking up we do have a very high fire danger rating,” the meteorologist said.
Rain and slightly cooler conditions could bring relief to the South East on Tuesday and the fire ban is set to expire at midnight on Monday.
“We could see showers and storms through the area from Tuesday,” Ms Hoff said.
“Areas like Ipswich could see 10 millimetres, or 15mm to 20 mm if you are under a storm”.
“We’re forecasting up to about 5mm around Beaudesert and up to about 7mm around Boonah, and that range is fairly typical for the Scenic Rim”.
But the forecast relief does not extend to much of the rest of the state and is likely to be temporary, with temperatures to rise again from Thursday.
