Parts of Queensland are seeing the state's worst fire danger ratings since 2018 as winds dry out last year's vegetation growth.

A catastrophic fire danger rating has been declared Darling Downs and Granite Belt, with extreme conditions for Maranoa and Warrego and Channel Country districts.

Temperatures up to 33°C and persistent 30km/h northerly winds are triggering the elevated ratings. Thunderstorms also rolled through in the early hours of Monday, sparking-up 941 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes over the region, potentially starting new blazes.

While it is the first time Queensland has had a ‘catastrophic’ fire danger rating since November 2018, the changes to the way fire danger is calculated last year means that the fire danger ratings are not exactly like-for-like. The recent changes represent all types of vegetation in Australia, as opposed to just forest fires with the old system.

The biggest reason for this catastrophic rating is the very high fuel load in the region that grew prolifically during the last three La Niña events. During the last eight months, rainfall has dried up, leading to severe rainfall deficiencies in the region.

The high fuel load and dry conditions, along with the forecast of a hot, dry spring, mean that it is likely that a warning for extreme or catastrophic fire danger will be issued again this season for southern Queensland.