Australia Weather News

There's no denying that a 33 degree day is a warm one. But Birdsville in Queensland's south west slept through a 33.2 degree Celsius night on Saturday breaking a record set in 2014.

The night broke the record for the highest minimum overnight temperature for November, which was previously 32.1C set on November 14, 2014.

Geoff Morton, a grazier at Roseberth Station, said there was no denying that it had been a hot week.

"Today will be our third day in a row of 47 degrees and for the past 10 days we've been [above] 45 degrees, so it is an extended heatwave and it's not usual for November that's for sure," he said.

"These are the sorts of temperatures that we expect in mid to late January."

Concern for livestock

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Rosa Hoff said the temperatures being seen in Birdsville at the moment were well exceeding averages.

"The average maximum temperature in Birdsville in November is 36.6 [degrees Celsius], so we're getting temperatures more than 10 degrees above average and at times 11 degrees above average," Ms Hoff said.

"We have seen this type of heat before.

"Birdsville does hold the record for the whole of Australia for the highest temperature recorded in November, which is 48 degrees."

Mr Morton said the heat was concerning for livestock, but he hoped a strong wet season would follow the heat.

"It makes it really hard for the beasts because it's getting to the time of the season where they have to walk out for feed, this is the dryer part of the year before the summer storms start," he said.

"As long as it rains when it's meant to rain in February or March things won't be too bad.

"We're doing reasonably well — we still have a bit of dry feed about."

Stay cool and hydrated

Meanwhile, the Queensland Ambulance Service's Lachlan Parker is warning that the heatwave conditions can be dangerous.

"We need to make sure that people don't become complacent because heat related illness can kill," Mr Parker said.

Mr Parker says the hot weather is particularly dangerous for the elderly, infants and people with existing medical conditions, like asthma and heart disease.

He says it's important that people stay cool and hydrated.

"So we want people to drink plenty of fluids, they should monitor their urine output," he said.

"If their urine output has decreased, or the colour of their urine is becoming concentrated, it's an early sign of dehydration.

"If people become fatigued, or suffer headaches, nausea or vomiting — these are all signs that need to be treated immediately," Mr Parker said.

He said that the high night-time temperatures did not give people a chance to recover.

"The problem is that you're dehydrated and your body is slowly shutting down because it can't cope with the temperature."

He also warned against breathing in smoky air, for those near bushfires.

"The problem with bushfire smoke is it contains particles, and when you breathe that in it goes deeper into the lungs, and it causes a form of respiratory irritation.

"So people often get a cough, they'll get short of breath, they'll get weakness in the chest."