Brisbane's weather is forecast to be more like Melbourne's this week, with the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) predicting an unseasonably wet start to south-east Queensland's driest month.
The BOM's Livio Regano said the Queensland capital could expect a "classic Melbourne sort of day" today, as a cloud band moved in from the west and casted a gloom over the subtropical city.
"No heavy falls, just a miserable sort of day," Mr Regano said.
He said the last day of winter would be marked by rain showers and a possible thunderstorm tomorrow, "depending on how much sun gets in in the afternoon".
Mr Regano said a second system would cross the state from the west on Thursday and herald in spring with heavier falls of 5 to 15 millimetres in the south-east on Friday.
"In September, you typically get about 40 to 50 mils for the whole month. It's our driest time of year," he said.
"If this one comes off and we get 15 millimetres, that'll already be a third of our month's worth of rain in probably just a few hours."
Thunderstorms with large hail to hit outback Queensland
Mr Regano said western Queensland had been experiencing unusually heavy rain in recent days.
"It's already dropped over 20 millimetres at Winton and Windorah, which are places that traditionally get no rain at this time of year," he said.
Several roads in the Barcoo Shire have been closed or restricted to four-wheel drive vehicles, including the road from Windorah to Birdsville.
It comes as thousands of people have been trying to get to the remote town for the Birdsville Races this weekend.
Helen Commens, who lives on a property in Windorah, said the roads were soft and authorities were trying to prevent them from getting badly cut up ahead of the event.
Asked about the road restrictions, Ms Commens said it was a lucky year for outback tourists.
"We haven't had the country looking as good as it has for years," Ms Commens said.
"This time they get to drive through beautiful wildflowers."
Ms Commens said the wet weather was "bloody exciting" for the region.
"[The rain] will bring the feed along now," she said.
La Niña likely to be declared
Mr Regano said Queensland had been "tinkering" near the La Niña threshold throughout winter and that the phenomenon, which causes wetter than usual conditions, was likely to be declared for a third year in a row.
He said it was coupled with a similar phenomenon known as an Indian Ocean Dipole.
"Plus the fact that all our oceans at the moment are overheated. So it's just like a trifecta," he said.
"Any opportunity that you've got for rain to come through is just going to be enhanced."
Mr Regano said on the plus side, Queensland barely had to worry about the bushfire season.
"Spring is usually not that nice in south-east Queensland because the sky is dusty, the grounds are all crunchy and yellow, you get a lot of burn-offs, you're constantly getting bushfire warnings, you can't light a campfire, all of those things."
"So that's one drama we won't have."
