Queensland is set for an "outbreak of storms" that are expected to bring a "trifecta" of wind, rain, and hail across the state this week.
Southern and western parts of the state have been placed on flood watch, while the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued a severe heatwave warning for the Peninsula District in the north.
"We are expecting a very activated and significant weather pattern to unfold across the state," senior forecaster Felim Hanniffy said.
"We are talking of a significant outbreak in comparison to recent weeks."
Mr Hanniffy said the weather system would start to develop in the west today and continue moving east over the coming days.
"It is going to bring the risk of severe thunderstorm activity over multiple days initially in the west and interior, and then spreading slowly eastwards later in the week," he said.
"The unknown is just where the actual focal point of the severe storms will be with the system."
Mr Hanniffy said this week was "definitely an indicator of what is to come" over the wet season.
He said the significant weather system was caused by the two climate drivers at play, the negative Indian Ocean Dipole and La Niña.
"When the two systems are in play, when you do get this type of set up, there is ample moisture to drive these storms and to really lift those rainfall amounts," he said.
Outback storms to be 'on the higher end'
Mr Hanniffy said the far west parts of outback Channel Country and even the southern parts of the north-west district could see destructive severe thunderstorms on Tuesday.
"Some of the storms in the far west could be more on the higher end variety... [with] locally destructive winds of intense rainfall and giant hail," he said.
The weather system is predicted to spread on Wednesday, bringing severe thunderstorm activity including strong winds, rain and hail into the northern, central and southern interiors.
The system will continue moving towards eastern and northern parts of the state on Thursday and Friday.
"There is still a bit of uncertainty about just how widespread the level of storm activity is but [there is] certainly a risk of severe storms across more to the east and north of the state by that stage," Mr Hanniffy said.
"The risk is probably lessening in the far west, but then increasing down across eastern districts and northern districts as we go through Thursday and Friday."
Mr Hanniffy said Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast were also likely to see an increased risk of storm activity and potentially some severe storms at the end of the week and possibly into the weekend.
Increased risk of flash flooding
Mr Hanniffy said the central, southern and eastern areas of the state could be at risk of flash flooding as the system brings heavy rainfall in a short amount of time.
"Obviously the flooding risk is elevated by the fact that everywhere is so saturated in light of very wet conditions we have had over the last several months," he said.
The BOM predicts the central and southern interiors could see accumulative rainfall of up to 100 millilitres on Wednesday and Thursday.
As the system moves to the east, Mr Hanniffy said up to 70mm of rain could be dumped in a "short duration".
In the south east, between 20 and 40mm of rainfall is expected later in the week.
"A lot of it hinges on how it develops and just the level of storm activity that reaches the south east," Mr Hanniffy said.
