Qld weather about to get wilder

Severe weather conditions in Queensland are set to worsen as an east coast low develops off the coast.

Forecasters predict the low will develop near Fraser Island on Friday afternoon.

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Dean Narramore said conditions would begin to worsen late on Thursday night and wouldn't ease until Saturday.

"It's going to be a wet and cool 36 hours," he said.

Residents have been warned to brace for damaging winds, heavy rain, high tides and dangerous surf.

The east coast low isn't expected to be as severe as the fierce system that lashed the Hunter, Sydney and Illawarra regions 10 days ago.

Meanwhile, a strong upper trough is moving in an easterly direction over southern Queensland and is expected to combine with a moist wind flow, causing heavy rain that may lead to flash flooding.

Areas southeast of Hervey Bay, from Taroom to Stanthorpe, are likely to cop significant rain with falls potentially exceeding 400mm along the coastline.

The bureau has already issued a severe weather warning for those areas, while a thunderstorm warning is current for the Maranoa and Warrego and parts of the Central Highlands and Coalfields, Central West, Channel Country and Darling Downs and Granite Belt forecast districts.

A flood watch warning is also current for a number of forecast districts in central and southern Queensland.