National: Heat slow to disperse in parts of Queensland

Southern Queensland towns will start to feel some relief from very hot conditions tomorrow with Charleville expected to record its first maximum below 39 degrees since the 22nd of February with Thursday tops expected to be 37 degrees and down to 33 on Friday. The heat will not dissipate further north though with Longreach not dropping below maximums of 40 degrees until Sunday when 39 is forecast and the slow slide will only fall to 36 as a maximum on Tuesday.

Rainfall in the next four days will be heaviest about the west coast of Tasmania in a moist north west to south west wind flow with some locally heavy falls although very little of the rain will reach the central, eastern or north east areas of the state. The west coast districts north of Geraldton (WA) to Warruwi (NT) will also record widespread falls with thunderstorms but the better of the falls will be in the Pilbara and northern Gascoyne region. The coast and ranges north of Townsville in Queensland through to the northern half of the Peninsula will also record widespread thundery showers but heavier totals will be patchy.