Birdsville breaks record with 33.2 degree night...
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There's no denying that a 33 degree day is a warm one. But Birdsville in Queensland's south west slept through a 33.2 degree Celsius night on Saturday breaking a record set in 2014.
Key points: Birdsville broke an overnight record for minimum temperature in November with a 33.2 degree Celsius night on SaturdayA local grazier said with 10 days above 45 degrees it is not usual November weatherA Bureau of Meteorology forecaster said maximum temperatures are also more than 10 degrees above averageThe night broke the record for the highest minimum overnight temperature for November, which was previously 32.1C set on November 14, 2014.
Geoff Morton, a grazier at Roseberth Station, said there was no denying that it had been a hot week.
"Today will be our third day in a row of 47 degrees and for the past 10 days we've been [above] 45 degrees, so it is an extended heatwave and it's not usual for November that's for sure," he said.
"These are the sorts of temperatures that we expect in mid to late January." Mack Lorenson has the right idea in Boulia and is sticking to the shade in his pool to escape the heat.(Supplied: Shelley Norton) Concern for livestockBureau of Meteorology forecaster Rosa Hoff said the temperatures being seen in Birdsville at the moment were well exceeding averages.
"The average maximum temperature in Birdsville in November is 36.6 [degrees Celsius], so we're getting temperatures more than 10 degrees above average and at times 11 degrees above average," Ms Hoff said.
"We have seen this type of heat before."Birdsville does hold the record for the whole of Australia for the highest temperature recorded in November, which is 48 degrees."
Find more local newsMr Morton said the heat was concerning for livestock, but he hoped a strong wet season would follow the heat.
"It makes it really hard for the beasts because it's getting to the time of the season where they have to walk out for feed, this is the dryer part of the year before the summer storms start," he said.
"As long as it rains when it's meant to rain in February or March things won't be too bad."We're doing reasonably well — we still have a bit of dry feed about."
Stay cool and hydratedMeanwhile, the Queensland Ambulance Service's Lachlan Parker is warning that the heatwave conditions can be dangerous.
"We need to make sure that people don't become complacent because heat related illness can kill," Mr Parker said.
ABC Emergency brings warnings and coverage of emergencies to one place before, during and after times of crisis and disaster.
Read moreMr Parker says the hot weather is particularly dangerous for the elderly, infants and people with existing medical conditions, like asthma and heart disease.
He says it's important that people stay cool and hydrated.
"So we want people to drink plenty of fluids, they should monitor their urine output," he said.
"If their urine output has decreased, or the colour of their urine is becoming concentrated, it's an early sign of dehydration.
"If people become fatigued, or suffer headaches, nausea or vomiting — these are all signs that need to be treated immediately," Mr Parker said.
Lachlan Parker, from the Queensland Ambulance Service.(ABC News: George Roberts)He said that the high night-time temperatures did not give people a chance to recover.
"The problem is that you're dehydrated and your body is slowly shutting down because it can't cope with the temperature."He also warned against breathing in smoky air, for those near bushfires.
"The problem with bushfire smoke is it contains particles, and when you breathe that in it goes deeper into the lungs, and it causes a form of respiratory irritation.
"So people often get a cough, they'll get short of breath, they'll get weakness in the chest."