One observation post in Nambour on the Sunshine Coast recorded 39.3 degrees on Saturday, beating the previous record of 39.2. However, records only began 13 years ago at this post. Loading The Lockyer Valley town of Gatton climbed to 42.6 degrees on Saturday, beating the previous record of 42 degrees in 2002 and making it the warmest December day during 54 years of records. Meteorologist Lauren Pattie said temperatures during the heatwave on Friday and Saturday were as much as 10 degrees above the December average. The cause was a stagnant high-pressure system with hot, dry air lingering above the south-east.

However, after sweltering daytime conditions and uncomfortably warm nights, Sunday would bring relief to south-east Queensland. "We have a southerly change moving across and it will bring the temperatures down, but it will also make things quite smoky," Ms Pattie said. "It’s already quite smoky outside thanks to a number of fires burning across south-eastern Queensland and there will be more smoke coming from the NSW fires." In term of temperatures, Brisbane exceeded 38 degrees on Saturday, but was expecting a maximum of only 31 on Sunday as the cool change arrived. Gatton was forecast to go from 42.6 degrees on Saturday to a top of just 36 on Sunday, while Beaudesert was expected to go from almost 41 degrees on Saturday to 34 on Sunday.

Loading Coolangatta on the Gold Coast was set for a top of 28 degrees on Sunday after exceeding 31 on Saturday and Nambour on the Sunshine Coast was due to go from 39.3 on Saturday to 29 on Sunday. "It will still be quite hot [on Sunday], it’s still a few degrees above average, the minimums are still quite warm," Ms Pattie said. "But we do expect to see a little bit of relief [on Sunday] as we go from the high 30s down to the low 30s around the south-east. Those low 30s temperatures will continue right through next week." The humidity was expected to increase from Sunday as north-easterly winds brought moisture.