December 22, 2025 — 11:55am
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Brisbane will suffer a one-two punch of heatwave and thunderstorm conditions before Christmas Day, with pub-goers, travellers and those heading to the beach urged to take care.
Stagnant water off Australia’s east coast and a band of thunderstorms working its way up from the southern states have concentrated hot, humid air over south-east Queensland, weather bureau forecaster Jonathan Howe said.
In Brisbane, heatwave conditions were expected to last until Boxing Day, with overnight minimums in the mid-to-low 20s, despite afternoon storms.
Thunderstorms are expected in Brisbane across Tuesday and Wednesday, but will not quell the heat for long.William Davis
“We will see some afternoon thunderstorms from [Wednesday] – obviously, there will be some rainfall, but it will really only start clearing up from Boxing Day,” Howe said.
The storms would bring heavy rain and a risk of flash flooding, particularly on roads and in low-lying areas around Brisbane, he said, but hail was unlikely.
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“For [Wednesday], we do know that many people are out and about, particularly with celebrations or travelling on the roads, so that’s just a reminder to take care,” he said.
“Thunderstorms could bring heavy rainfalls, leading to dangerous driving conditions.”
The hottest days across the week were predicted to be Monday at a maximum of 34 degrees, followed by Tuesday and Thursday, which would reach 33 degrees.
The storms’ reprieve from the heat would be brief – Howe said the steamy conditions would continue until the wind swung to the south-east on Friday.
“Not everyone will see storms all the time, so in between storms [the conditions] are very humid as well,” Howe said.
Between the storms, temperatures are forecast to reach into the 30s.Courtney Kruk
He said people planning outside activities, such as hikes or sport, or drinking at holiday celebrations should take care to remain hydrated and seek shade.
The forecast heatwave would remain moderate for most of the week, peaking in Brisbane as a severe heatwave on Tuesday.
Heat would reach severe-to-extreme levels in other parts of the south-east on Tuesday, with the most intense conditions inland at Kilcoy.
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Christmas Day, Howe said, would be dry in the morning, but Brisbane residents could expect scattered showers in the afternoon.
“It’s not really anything that would [ruin] plans,” he said.
From Boxing Day, the weather bureau predicted drier and slightly cooler days through to the new year, as long as the wind direction remained south-easterly.
“We can’t really see any big storm outbreaks or big heatwaves in the week after New Year’s Day, but certainly, for those planning something after the Christmas weekend, always check the forecast,” Howe said.
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