Large swells hit Queensland coast

Areas affected include Sandy Cape to Point Danger as well as the Fraser, Sunshine and Gold Coasts. Photo / File

Queenslanders will have to give Christmas Day picnics on the beach a miss this year as swells as high as four metres take over many popular spots.

The Queensland Weather Bureau has issued a severe weather warning for dangerous surf conditions and abnormally high tides for coastal areas.

Areas affected include Sandy Cape to Point Danger as well as the Fraser, Sunshine and Gold Coasts.

"We've got a low pressure system south of the Coral Sea, we have a high pressure system near New Zealand," forecaster Gavin Holcombe told AAP.

"And as a result those systems are producing large swells moving on to those beaches south of Fraser Island.

"Those swells are up top the four metre mark and may even get higher

"They are long period swells and as a result when they break on the beach they're particularly strong and pretty dangerous.

"As a result those beaches have closed."

The big swells are not going to ease until Tuesday, Mr Holcombe said.

Surf Life Saving Queensland has warned the public to take extra care over the Christmas period with hazardous conditions expected along the Queensland coast.

"The conditions along the coast could become extremely hazardous and we don't want people to put themselves at risk by swimming in dangerous unpatrolled locations," Gold Coast lifesaving services coordinator Stuart Hogben said.

-AAP