Australia Weather News

Parts of Queensland have already rugged up for winter's impending arrival as the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) forecasts a "cloudy, cool and wet" start to the weekend.

Senior meteorologist Angus Hines said eastern parts of the state could expect a return of wet conditions and continued cold snap from Friday.

"Cloudy, cool and wet … that really describes the end of the week into the weekend," he said.

"But as the week comes to a close that rain will really target the east coast and it honestly could be quite wet anywhere from Townsville down to the New South Wales border."

On Thursday, parts of Townsville recorded more than 40 millimetres of rain. 

The weather bureau said the most significant rainfall would be in Capricornia around Rockhampton and surrounding areas.

"For Brisbane and right across the south-east, there will be showers around but perhaps not quite the persistent rain that's expected," Mr Hines said.

"By Sunday we'll start to get back to perhaps what is typical for this time of the year and it becomes clear and those temperatures do rebound."

While the rain and cold front starts to clear on Sunday, the BOM said the expected rainfall totals and lower temperatures on Friday and Saturday would not break any records.

"Not big totals compared to what some of these areas might have seen in summer, which of course tends to bring those heavier falls and the higher risk of flooding," Mr Hines said.

"Some places could see 30 to 50mm. While that might not be a lot compared to what they could see in a summer storm, it's quite a lot for this time of year.

"Probably the coolest of the temperatures are going to be between Bowen and Bundaberg."

'Rain, hail or shine'

On Saturday, a major fireworks competition will dazzle the Gold Coast, with pyrotechnicians from Belgium and the United States duking it out.

In previous years, thousands of spectators watched the show from the Surfers Paradise foreshore but additional locations at Broadbeach, the Broadwater and HOTA Parklands have been added to protect beaches damaged by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred in March.

Gold Coast pyrotechnician Nick Kozij's team will also be putting on a fireworks display at SeaFire.

Even with overcast and damp conditions expected on Saturday, he said the event would go ahead "rain, hail or shine".

"The only thing that would stop [it] would be another Cyclone Alfred coming through," he said.

"A few days ago we had terrible conditions out on the ocean but now it's looking much more favourable.

"If it rains, bring an umbrella and enjoy the show."