Visitors flocking to Queensland’s Darling Downs for the annual Carnival of Flowers in Toowoomba are advised to take an umbrella, with thunderstorms forecast for the region on Friday.
The Bureau of Meteorology said showers and thunderstorms were also expected on Friday across the state’s south-east, including Brisbane and the Gold and Sunshine coasts.
Possible severe storms were forecast for Saturday, before conditions were expected to ease on Sunday.
Visitors are advised that rain may fall this weekend in Toowoomba but there’s still plenty to see. (ABC Southern Queensland: Dan McCray)
Bureau meteorologist Jordi Cairol said thunderstorms over the next two days could include heavy rainfall, large hail and damaging wind.
“It’s pretty much across the southern part of the state from the Channel Country to the south-east coast and pretty much across all of the south but including the Darling Downs,” Mr Cairol said.
He said the showers and thunderstorms would be triggered by a trough coming up through New South Wales and moving towards the south-eastern part of Queensland.
While rainfall totals in the Darling Downs could be up to 20 millimetres, Mr Cairol said normal conditions for the south-east were expected to return on Sunday.
Widespread morning fog is also possible in the eastern part of the state.
Temperatures are expected to reach 28 degrees in Brisbane and 26 degrees on the Gold Coast, respectively, on Friday.
The Mulgrave River catchment south of Cairns has received hundreds of millimetres of rain this week. (ABC Far North Qld: Christopher Testa)
Flood warnings set to ease
In the far north, rainfall totals of 15 to 30mm are expected in some locations, and flood warnings remain in place.
But there is a reprieve on the horizon.
“We have had the exceptional September rainfall, but it will be easing from [Friday],” Mr Cairol said.
“We’re expecting light to moderate showers still in the tropical coast during Friday [before becoming] significantly lighter than they have been in the previous two days.”
High fire warnings in place
The bureau expects maximum temperatures to reach 2 to 8 degrees above average across southern and central Queensland on Friday.
A higher fire danger rating is in place for the Central Highlands and Coalfields, Central West, North West and Channel Country on Friday.
Rockhampton and Cairns will both reach a top of 30 degrees on Friday, while Townsville will experience slightly cooler conditions with a high of 29 degrees.
It will be scorching in Mount Isa, with a forecasted high of 37 degrees, despite a slight chance of rain.
Longreach is also forecast to experience hot temperatures on Friday, with a maximum of 36 degrees expected.