Cairns nudged above 40 degrees for the third day in a row today, extending its unprecedented run of late-spring heat as temperature records continue to tumble in eastern Queensland.

Prior to 2018, Cairns had never recorded a day over 40 degrees during November. This week, there have been three in a row. This trio of days over 40 is a new record for November and has only been recorded once during summer, back in February 1923, at the city's old Post Office site.

Today's heat follows similarly high temperatures on Monday and Tuesday, which were caused when a mass of hot air combined with westerly winds, carrying inland heat towards the coast. A weather station at Cairns Racecourse hit 43.6C on both Monday and Tuesday, which is higher than any temperature previously recorded at the Cairns Airport and Cairns Post Office weather stations during any month, which collectively have data stretching back to 1889.

Townsville's top of 40.3 degrees on Wednesday follows Tuesday's high of 41.7, which was a new record for November for the city. This was also Townsville's first pair of November days over 40 degrees and also the second time on record it has happened during any time of year.

Today's heat is also interacting with a low pressure trough over eastern and southeast Queensland to produce showers and thunderstorms, some of which are becoming severe. Early on Wednesday afternoon, severe thunderstorm warnings were issued for damaging winds and large hail in parts of the South East and Wide Bay and Burnett Districts.

In addition to the heat and thunderstorms, a large dust storm also swept across southern and western inland Queensland during Wednesday as blustery winds lifted dry topsoil into the air.

Visit http://www.weatherzone.com.au/warnings.jsp for the latest severe thunderstorm warnings.