Heat to ease but possible storms forecast for Christmas Day in Queensland
Christmas Day will bring a mixed bag of weather for Queenslanders, forecasters say. (Supplied: Abby Geiger)
Queenslanders have been given a mixed bag of "gifts" in the form of today's weather forecast — with easing heatwave conditions blighted by the possibility of severe thunderstorms.
Senior forecaster at the Bureau of Meteorology Miriam Bradbury said "on Christmas, we are expecting severe thunderstorms and heavy, locally intense rainfall … particularly in northern, central and southern areas of the state.
"In south-east Queensland those conditions are looking less likely, but there's still a chance. We are telling everyone to keep an eye on warnings. Unfortunately, the weather doesn't recognise the public holiday."
Severe thunderstorms are likely for northern, central and southern Queensland on Christmas Day. (Supplied: William Ashton)
The good news comes in the form of reprieve from recent heatwave conditions, with a long-running heatwave warning cancelled on Christmas Eve.
"We're expecting temperatures in the high 20s to low 30s across the state, with temps cooling as a result of rainfall and cloud blocking that sun," Ms Bradbury said.
"The exception is the Darling Downs, Warrego far south-west. That is where skies might clear up. So, it may be a little hotter there."
A Santa decoration outside a property in the Flinders Shire region of north-west Queensland. (ABC News: Brooke Tindall)
The weather bureau expects it will not rain on New Year's Eve celebrations, but cautions it is still too early to accurately predict.
"For New Year's, at this point we are expecting more settled weather in south-east Queensland," Ms Bradbury said.
"We could see some dry thunderstorms around the far west and south-west. Most wet weather will be concentrated around the Gulf."
A flood watch remains over western and north-western Queensland, with the bureau warning some rivers could rise and flood conditions develop over the coming days.
Wet weather a 'relief'
In the state's north, the mail run has become a Christmas weather casualty.
Bec Climie collects mail in the morning from Julia Creek.
Because of the wet conditions, she could only deliver to 10 of the 38 properties along the Kynuna-McKinlay route.
Picking up the Christmas mail in the wet in outback Queensland. (Supplied: Bec Climie)
"Unfortunately today, because it is wet, I'm not getting into many mailboxes. People are coming out in buggies to meet me in an area I can get to.
"I went down to McKinlay first and most of the properties along there have had 80 to 100 millimetres of rain … now I'm in Kynuna and there's really been very little here," she told the ABC.
"It definitely looks like there's more coming. There's a couple of blue spots in the sky but the clouds are very low and heavy, so hopefully it'll fill in the gaps."
A heatwave warning for much of Queensland has been cancelled, but severe thunderstorms are possible for Christmas. (Supplied: Rick Britton)
"I just met some people on the road because I couldn't get to their mailbox at Redland Park and they've only had 8-10mm last night but are living in hope they'll get some more."
Ms Climie said there was relief in the community, with the rain expected to curb fire danger that has seen "a fair bit of firefighting going on around here in the last couple of months".
"There's a lot of relief … if we can get a good start now, it will be such a good wet season, so we're all just hoping the forecast is right," she said.
"I'm on a lot of dirt roads, so being black soil and red soil country, as soon as it rains that becomes pretty slippery.
"A few people have met me somewhere, or I've been able to put their mail under a grid or tie it to a post or something … we have a wet weather plan for these type of days."