A girl enjoys the breeze at South Bank in Brisbane. Photo: Harrison Saragossi
Brisbane is set to swelter through its hottest December day in 11 years, with the mercury tipped to climb to 39 degrees today.
The heat has two-thirds of the Queensland on bushfire watch, as temperatures in parts of the state soar to more than 40 degrees for the fourth consecutive day.
In Brisbane the temperature is forecast to climb rapidly throughout the morning, reaching 34 degrees by midday.
But the temperature will not peak until mid-afternoon, when it is set to hit 39 degrees – 10 degrees above the December average – about 3pm.
"It's going to be very, very hot," Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Michelle Berry said.
"It should remain quite hot even into the evening hours."
A trough extending over the state's north-west to the south-east corner around the Darling Downs is generating the hot conditions.
The dry westerly winds fuelling the hot conditions, however, will provide some relief from the humidity.
The temperature will not remain at 39 degrees for much longer than 30 minutes, before falling into the low-30s.
The last time Brisbane experienced a top of 39 degrees was Boxing Day 2001.
But the hottest December day on record came on December 7, 1981, when the mercury topped 41.2 degrees.
The heat has been even more intense in the state's west of late, with temperatures in Mt Isa and Longreach forecast to hit 40 degrees on Tuesday – the fourth successive day at 40 degrees or above.
Controlled fires are presently burning at Beachmere, north of Brisbane and near Mount Isa, where a Brisbane-based fire crew was sent on Monday.
Queensland Fire and Rescue director of rural operations Peter Varley said any fire that started today would be extremely difficult to control.
"The farther west, the worse the conditions get," he said.
An enhanced fire danger for Brisbane is expected to continue on Wednesday, even as temperatures drop back to 32 degrees.
As the state swelters, brisbanetimes.com.au is interested in your photos of failed and successful attempts to stay cool. So if you snap a shot and share it on social media, please use the hashtag #qldbakes and we'll post our readers' best weather pics on the site. You can also send your photos directly to scoop@brisbanetimes.com.au .
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