Large regions of Queensland are bracing for severe heatwave conditions as the sunshine state swelters ahead of the long weekend.

The Bureau of Meteorology issued warnings on Friday for coastal areas north from Brisbane to Rockhampton, with temperatures set to soar.

Temperatures in Brisbane are expected to peak at 37 degrees after consecutive days of hot weather, while inland areas will top 40 degrees.

An extreme heatwave warning is current for the south-east coast district with severe warnings for 14 other areas spanning inland regions to the north tropical coast.

Longreach and Winton are forecast to top the charts on Friday at 46 degrees, with all townships in the central-west region hitting at least 40.

Temperatures will range from 39-45 degrees in Boulia in the Channel Country.

“Those heatwaves are severe to locally extreme through much of east, central and south-east Queensland, low-intensity ongoing across parts of the west,” meteorologist Miriam Bradbury said.

Conditions would ease across the weekend but low-intensity heatwave conditions were expected to persist into next week, the bureau said.

Soaring temperatures can lead to heat-related illnesses such as dehydration, heat stroke, cramps and exhaustion.

The warnings haven’t stopped people looking to get a jump on the long weekend, with ferries to popular holiday destination North Stradbroke Island almost booked out.

SeaLink’s vehicle ferry service to and from the island was full on Friday and had one available booking late on Saturday.

“Everything is booked,” one traveller said.

“It feels like most people have done that well in advance. Sitting on the vehicle ferry now, it’s brimming with passengers.”

While holiday makers will revel in warmer weather, severe thunderstorm warnings are likely for the Wide Bay, Burnett and southern Capricornia regions on Friday with a chance of damaging wind, large hail and heavy rainfall.

“We can’t rule out high end storms … bringing giant size hail – hail with a diameter greater than five centimetres – or destructive wind gusts,” meteorologist Sarah Scully said on Friday.

The severe rainfall could lead to property damage, road closures and damage to crops in the region.

The bureau has also forecast possible severe storms for the Gold Coast and between Kingaroy and Moranbah.

-AAP