Muggy night leads to hot day and predictions of severe storm for southeast ... - Herald Sun

Wild weather: Storm clouds gather over Stradbroke Island. Source: The Courier-Mail

WHILE others dream of a white Christmas, Queenslanders will have to settle for a grey one, with showers and storms forecast until the new year.

After days of fine weather, the southeast is bracing for showers and storms this afternoon, soaking holiday-makers and bringing potentially damaging winds, hail and flash flooding.

Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Brett Harrison said wet weather would sweep through from the west, reaching Brisbane and the coasts later in the day.

"At this stage we are expecting some of the thunderstorms to be severe, but they are more likely to be west of Brisbane," he said.

He said temperatures would be in the low 30s across the southeast until the weekend, with showers and storms continuing until Christmas.

"We're looking at a shower or two on Thursday and then showers and storms Friday and Saturday, then back to the odd shower for Sunday and Monday," he said.

Cairns and Townsville will see mainly fine weather, with temperatures in the low 30s and light winds through the week, getting wetter as Christmas approaches.