Last year was, on average, Brisbane's hottest year on record and Queensland's sixth-hottest, according to the Bureau of Meteorology's annual climate summary.

On a national scale, Australia sweltered through its seven hottest days in December, melting many records including for the country's highest fire danger and its warmest and driest year.

Annual rainfall across Queensland was also 20 per cent below average in 2019 and large areas of inland south-east Queensland had their driest year on record.

The year started with Tropical Cyclone Penny, which dumped more than 110 millimetres of rain on far north Queensland and generated wind gusts of almost 100km/h on New Year's Day.