The mercury climbed into 34 degrees in the capital city of Queensland on Friday right after 3pm, running 7 degrees above average.

The southeast Queensland sweated through yesterday with well above average conditions. Apart from Brisbane, Amberley and Gatton also registered the hottest day in April since 2006, with maximums nudging 35 degrees. Toowoomba, around 700m above sea level, got to around 31 degrees, which is the hottest April day ever recorded since measurements in town started in 1996.

The sweltering conditions were also felt across the northeast New South Wales. Ballina and Casino topped out 33 and 34 degrees, respectively, with 8 degrees warmer than the long-term average for the month, breaking the hottest April day on record in more than 20 years of data. Casino eclipsed the previous April record, set in 2006, by less than half a degree.

Hot northwesterly winds generated by a broad low pressure trough across south Queensland drew in a warm airmass from the interior, resulting in the unseasonable warmth. A cooler airmass will replace the hot air on Sunday as the trough will move offshore.

Air temperature (red line) and dew point (blue line) observed in Brisbane City on Friday 17th April 2020.