PARAMEDICS are warning people to take care in the heat this week, with temperatures set to soar above 40 degrees in some parts of the south-east.
Beaudesert will hover in the mid-30s before peaking at 41 on Friday, while temperatures in Logan and the Redlands are tipped to be in the low- to mid-30s.
It came as the weather bureau released its spring summary showing the season was Queensland's fifth hottest on record.
Overall, it was also the state's fourth driest, with some areas - including Point Lookout, Greenbank, Maroon Dam and Harrisville - receiving their lowest spring rainfall on record.
The bureau is predicting similar dry, hot conditions to continue into summer.
Head of long-range forecasts Andrew Watkins said the outlook was being influenced by one of the strongest positive Indian Ocean Dipole events ever recorded.
"A positive IOD means we have cooler than average water pooling off Indonesia and this means we see less rain-bearing weather systems and warmer than average temperatures for large parts of the country," Dr Watkins said.
"The positive IOD means we're also expecting a delayed onset for the northern monsoon, one of the key drivers for tropical rainfall during the summer months.
"At this stage we're expecting the onset of the northern monsoon by mid-summer, which should see the odds for closer to average rainfall increasing from January and into February."
"The other influence ... is the negative southern annular mode.
"Our weather systems are further north than normal and that's going to cause more westerly winds, those hot and dry winds coming into south-east Queensland in particular."
Dr Watkins said communities should be alert to the potential severe weather risks in the coming months.
The south-east coast fire danger dropped from severe on Monday to very high for Tuesday and Wednesday but firefighters are still battling tough conditions.
"The outlook for drier and warmer than average conditions will maintain that heightened risk over the coming months," Dr Watkins said.
"This outlook also means the risk of heatwaves is increased."
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Advanced care paramedic Ian Pyper said the week's soaring temperatures was a timely reminder for people to be aware of heat-related illness and heat safety in the festive season.
"During these hotter months, particularly around Christmas, it's more likely that people will be attending outdoor events like barbecues and other functions so it's important to be conscious of your alcohol consumption and drink plenty of water," he said.
"This also goes for drinks contain sugar and caffeine which can all contribute to dehydration. Think about drinking water regularly throughout the day and don't wait until you feel thirsty."
Heat stroke is potentially life-threatening. Symptoms include dizziness, disorientation, confusion, seizures and loss of consciousness.
If someone is suffering from heatstroke, they should be removed from source of heat. People should try to cool them with icepacks or fans and loosen or remove heavy clothing
Call Triple Zero in an emergency.
