The hottest September day for a Queensland town has been recorded at Birdsville but while locals are sweltering, the national record maximum temperate for spring is set to remain unbroken.
The mercury rose to 42.5C on Wednesday afternoon, surpassing the previous state record by 0.1C and it's expected to stay there before a cool change brings relief to the area on Wednesday afternoon, a Bureau of Meteorology spokesman told AAP.
There's a small chance temperatures will surpass the national record of 43.1C, which was set in Roebuck outside Broome in Western Australia in 2003.
But that's not likely, the BOM spokesman says.
After the scorching temperatures on Wednesday conditions around Birdsville are expected to ease back to the average maximum of 30C, with a drop of about 12C forecast.
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The heat comes as outback Queensland is being hit by a blast of hot air drawn down from the country's north.
As the the warm air mass moves towards the coast on Thursday temperatures in Queensland's southeast are expected to spike.
Brisbane is expecting 26C on Wednesday but 36C has been forecast for Thursday.
Places west of the capital will be hotter, including Ipswich, where temperatures may rise to 39C.
Much of the state remains at very high to severe risk of fire danger and fire bans will be extended across much of the southeast on Thursday.
