SOUTHEAST Queensland is in for a scorcher tomorrow with temperatures tipped to soar to almost 40C.

It is also set to be the hottest day in Brisbane since Christmas Eve 2001.

The mercury is expected to hit 39C in Brisbane and experts are tipping the hottest day in the state's capital since Christmas Eve 2001 when 40C was recorded.

Weatherwatch meteorologist Anthony Cornelius said Queenslanders should take adequate precautions to deal with the sizzling temperatures.

"We've seen a broad trough over central and eastern Australia so the process of that has caused north to northwesterly flows, not only over southeast Queensland but over much of Queensland, NSW and South Australia," he said.

"The main part of that trough has generated intense heat south and to the west and is going to push into southeast Queensland and by Tuesday we're going to see strong winds.

"It's going to drag that heat over a hot continent and that's why we're going to see some very hot temperatures."

Weatherzone has tipped Brisbane to hit 33C today with a possible storm and 39C tomorrow before dropping back to 32C on Wednesday.

Yesterday was the fifth straight day over 30C.

Temperatures at Ipswich tomorrow are expected to reach 41C while lower temperatures are predicted on the Gold Coast (34C) and Sunshine Coast (37C).

Mr Cornelius said it was "unusual" for Brisbane to reach temperatures in the high 30s and strong winds would be needed for the mercury to soar close to 40C.

"It's rare for it to ever get close to 40C in the city, normally it will sit in the low to mid 30s," he said. "At this stage that does look fairly likely."

Energex spokeswoman Kath Ryan urged Queenslanders to minimise their power use in the coming days to help lighten the load on the network.

"We are encouraging people to conserve their energy particularly during the peak times between 4pm and 8pm," she said. "Simple things can make a big difference, so if people want to use their air-conditioner think about what else they can turn off.

"Think about having a barbecue for dinner rather than using the oven which heats up their home and actually competes with having the air-conditioner on."

She said Energex was not expecting any issues with the electricity network during summer and a lot of money had been spent to ensure the system could cope with increased power use during hot periods.

Ms Ryan also suggested if people used air-conditioners to set the temperature to 24C.

Read more on The Courier Mail.