School holidays are over but the heat's back Marshall Dreyer watches brother J.D. get a launch from Owen Strath at Snapper Rocks, Gold Coast. Picture: Luke Marsden Source: News Limited SCHOOL holidays might be coming to an end but the stinking hot days are just beginning. Today, the northwest will swelter in 41C heat while Brisbane will see a fine and sunny top of 32C, Ipswich 34C, Gold Coast 29C and Maroochydore 31C. Rockhampton will reach 33C, Mackay 29C, Townsville 30C and Cairns 29C with a possible morning shower. For J.D. Dreyer and his family, the beach will be the spot to cool off, with the Bureau of Meteorology predicting more warm weather this week. Senior forecaster Michael Knepp said temperatures typically fluctuate in southern Queensland during the transition from winter to summer. "You have troughs coming through bringing cooler air in their wake," he said. Before the troughs move through, there will be warmer air coming in from the northwest. Once we get into late November and December temperatures will start to stabilise a bit more and most days will be quite warm. The mercury is set to remain steady in the northern, tropical parts of the state, however, with Cairns to sit on 29-31C this week Bushfire fighters from Rocksberg Moorina rural fire brigade putting out fires at Rocksberg. Picture: Jamie Hanson Source: News Limited QUEENSLAND faces ­another perfect storm bushfire season, with cured grassland and plentiful fuel across the state at a time when volunteer firies are warring with the Newman Government. The state dodged a bullet last year when similar tinderbox conditions developed, but may not be as lucky this time with high winds and low humidity already pushing fire risk to ­severe levels. "It's shaping up to be a pretty dreadful fire season," said Ted Malone, assistant minister overseeing the state's 30,000-strong rural fire volunteers. The immediate surrounds of Brisbane are a real concern to me, and the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast hinterlands. Volunteer brigades have threatened to respond to ­blazes only in their own communities because of a perceived lack of support from the Newman Government but Mr Malone thinks a political solution will come soon, with the implementation of 91 recommendations in his report to ­reform the rural fire service. I'll be working with the minister to implement my ­report. There's no doubt it is shaping up to be a difficult fire season and we absolutely need those guys out there in their yellow trucks. Much of the state has abundant fuel for forest fires, 4000-5000 tonnes of fuel per hectare, and grassland that is 100 per cent cured. That leaves land extremely vulnerable to lightning strikes and arsonists. The areas most at risk are the Gulf Country, Herbert, Lower Burdekin, Maranoa and Warrego, Darling Downs and Granite Belt, and parts of the southeast. It's a tinderbox. If we don't get rain, we'll be in all sorts of trouble," Rural Fire Brigades Association Queensland president Mike Garrahy said. I don't want to scare people but the country's dry and big winds are starting to come and crews are starting to see fast-moving fires that are difficult to control. It's not good. It has been difficult to reduce fuel because controlled burns are too dangerous. With this wind, we'd be crazy to light anything up. Tuck Thompson A breakdown of pasture fuel loads across Queensland. Below is the break-down of pasture fuel loads across the state and general dryness. Grass fuel loads of more than 4 tonnes per hectare are considered heavy. Drought factor is recorded on a scale of 1-10, with showers lowering score. Peninsula (Coen, Weipa) Grass curing: 90 per cent Fuel load: 4.5 tonnes per ha Drought factor: 10 Gulf Country (Normanton) Grass curing: 100 per cent Fuel load: 5 tonnes per ha Northern Goldfield and Upper Flinders (Charters Towers, Georgetown, Richmond) Grass curing: 95-100 per cent Fuel load: 4.5-5 tonnes/ha Northern Tropical Coast and Tablelands (Cairns, Cooktown, Innisfail, Mareeba) Grass curing: 50-90 per cent Drought factor: 10, except for Mareeba, 2 Herbert and Lower Burdekin (Ayr, Bowen, Ingham, Townsville) Fuel load: 5 tonnes/ha Drought factor:10 Central Coast and Whitsundays (Mackay) Grass curing: 40 per cent Drought factor: 7 Capricornia (Biloela, Gladstone, Rockhampton) Grass curing: 85-95 per cent Drought factor: Rockhampton, 1; Gladstone 7; Biloela, 10 Central Highlands and Coalfields (Emerald, Moranbah, Taroom) Drought factor: Moranbah, 7; Emerald and Taroom, 10 Central West (Blackall, Longreach) Fuel load: 4.5 tonnes/ha Northwest (Cloncurry, Mount Isa) Channel Country (Birdsville, Boulia, Quilpie, Thargomindah) Maranoa and Warrego (Charleville, Cunnamulla, Roma, St George) Drought factor: Roma, 8; Charleville, Cunnamulla and St. George, 10 Darling Downs and Granite Belt (Dalby, Miles, Oakey, Stanthorpe, Toowoomba, Warwick) Grass Curing: 100 per cent Drought factor: 6-10 Wide Bay and Burnett (Gympie. Maryborough) Grass curing: 75 per cent Bundaberg Grass curing: 85 per cent Drought factor:3 Kingaroy Drought factor:9 Southeast Coast Amberley Grass curing: 95 per cent Brisbane, Nambour, Archerfield, Tewantin Grass curing: 80 per cent Source: Bureau of Meteorology