Australians suffering from asthma and hay fever in one state have been warned a temperature spike and incoming storms could be a dangerous weather cocktail.

Soaring temperatures and severe storms are on the radar for Queensland and high pollen levels are forecast to follow suit.

Above average temperatures are expected to hit most parts of the state, the Bureau of Meteorology's senior meteorologist Miriam Bradbury told Today.

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"Over the next few days we're going to see heat pretty much across all of Queensland," Bradbury said.

"Above average temperatures, generally in the high 20s, at least, if not low to mid-30s, pushing up to the higher 30s across those inland areas."

Bradbury said with the warmer weather there is also a high chance of thunderstorms after the long weekend.

She said Tuesday will bring the worst of the storms for Queenslanders.

READ MORE: Second flight of Australians from Lebanon lands in Cyprus

"From Tuesday, storms will increase, becoming much more widespread and with a greater risk of becoming severe storms as well, so becoming much more dangerous," she said.

Maximum temperatures in the state are set to be eight degrees higher than average across south-east Queensland.

Early next week, Brisbane is forecast to reach 33 degrees on Sunday, Ipswich 36 and the Sunshine Coast 31.

The warm, windy conditions are forecast to trigger an earlier grass pollen season in Queensland, posing a threat to those with hay fever or asthma.

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Victoria is also gearing up for a challenging pollen season, with expectations this year will be similar to 2023 high pollen levels.

Dr Edwin Lampugnani, chief operating and scientific officer of AirHealth, said: "At this stage we are expecting a bigger than average grass pollen season, one which is similar to last year.

"Forecasted rainfall could trigger a surge in grass growth that could increase the amount of grass pollen in the air."

The tumultuous COVID-era and a fresh wave of return-to-office orders have reshaped the landscape of Australian workplace culture.

It seems remote work is here to stay even as some companies continue to push back against it.

But what will the average Australian office look like in decades to come?

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Scientific futurist Dr Catherine Ball has her finger on the pulse of rapidly evolving technology.

She told 9news.com.au workplaces in Australia will likely never ditch the in-office culture.

"Workplaces are going to go a few ways, as we move to the three-day working week (enabled with technology), but ultimately the place of the office in work culture will remain relevant," Ball explained.

Employees will need extra benefits to entice them to apply for semi-permanent in-office jobs though, Ball said.

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There will still be a huge rise in companies offering fully remote work, so businesses will be required to adapt.

"Mixed-use spaces, fast internet, and even free food will become standard – not just something you find at a Google office," she said.

"Some parts of work will still require team-work, and deep immersive headsets and the 'internet of bodies' devices will be used to simulate a physical gathering."

Technology isn't always linear and Ball predicts some resistance to overly tech-enabled offices during the next few decades.

She said there could be a shift where "analogue" knowledge and human interaction is valued more highly than digital collaboration.

Concentrated CBD areas are also set to transform as workplaces change.

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Ball predicts Australian cities will look to the Japan-style model of old office buildings being used to bridge the housing wealth gap.

She said it's likely the government will look into "micro apartments", which are widely used in densely-populated city areas across Japan.

"Our CBDs will become more mixed use as former offices get converted into micro-apartments, like Japan, [for] the younger population to actually have a shot at owning their own property" Ball said.

A world-first cancer treatment, discovered in Melbourne, has been added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

It means thousands of Australians with blood cancer will now have access to the pills, which have been slashed by thousands of dollars.

Patrick Foley has been fighting an incurable blood cancer for more than 30 years.

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But doctors initially gave the Melbourne man only six months to live.

After battling the disease for decades, it's finally at bay for the 68-year-old thanks to a world-first treatment discovered by researchers in Melbourne.

Foley was one of the first to access it as part of a clinical trial.

"It's like playing a card game, where you think you've got a losing hand and you're handed a couple of cards and then all of a sudden, you've got a winning hand," Foley told 9News.

Two drugs, Imbruvica and Venetoclax – used individually to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia and small lymphocytic lymphoma – are now being used together.

They work to block proteins and help kill the cancer cells with two tablets taken daily for 15 months.

There's no need for chemotherapy, meaning less side effects and once in remission, patients go drug-free.

"I think it's a huge breakthrough for our patients," Dr Con Tam, Head of Lymphoma Services, Alfred Hospital.

"That means the cancer is out of mind and patients can get back to their normal lives."

Now the treatment is added to the PBS, the price of the pill has been slashed from $12,600 a month to just $7.70 for concession card holders and $31.60 for general patients.

Health Minister Mark Butler called the treatment "remarkable" and hopes it will benefit hundreds of Australians.

"Taking this tablet treatment is just a world away from having to undergo chemo treatment or radiation therapy," Butler told 9News.

"This is a remarkable new treatment that will change the lives of as many as 900 patients with lymphoma every year."

The first of two charter flights of Australians out of Beirut, Lebanon has touched down in the safety of Cyprus on Saturday afternoon (night AEST).

About 229 Australian nationals were on board the first mercy flight and have been processed at Larnaca Airport.

There were a mix of ages on board from the elderly to babes in arms and also, a mixture of emotions.

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Those coming off the flight said they are relieved to be safe and on their way back to Australia.

But, many are also feeling guilt, having left family and friends behind in a place that is now so very dangerous.

"It's good that we get out," Lodi Khalan told 9News.

"It's better for the kids as well."

When asked what it's like in Lebanon currently, Khalan said: "Terrible, there is nothing to say in a good way".

The passengers will spend the next few nights in Cyprus and then, once again, government organised Qantas planes will fly them back to Australia.

It's an emotional journey for them, not knowing what sort of Lebanon they'll be able to return to.

Incident took place near Samoa, New Zealand Defence Force says.

A man has been charged after a car allegedly collided with a group of people outside of a South Australian pub in the early hours of this morning.

CCTV footage captured the moment the driver allegedly accelerated, pinning a group of people against a wall at the Royal Family Hotel on North Terrace in Port Elliot.

A young man, believed to be a worker at the pub, is fighting for his life and four others are recovering from minor injuries.

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Police said the suspected driver left the scene of the crash, which happened at about 1.30am before he returned a short time later.

A 37-year-old man was arrested by police and taken to Christies Beach Police Station, where he's been charged with causing harm by dangerous driving and leaving the scene of a crash.

A 22-year-old man from Hindmarsh Island was left with serious life-threatening injuries and was flown to Adelaide where he remains in hospital.

Four people were treated for minor injuries, including a 21-year-old man from Goolwa Beach, a 37-year-old woman from Port Elliott, a 20-year-old woman from Inman Valley and a 30-year-old man from Blackwood.

North Terrace in Port Elliot, a beachside town near Victor Harbor south of Adelaide, remained closed for most of the day while police examined the scene.

The driver was refused bail, and will face Christies Beach Magistrates Court on October 8.

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The Australian Federal Police have released images of seven men who are wanted after prohibited symbols, including the Hezbollah flag, were flown at a protest in Melbourne last month. 

The flag of Hezbollah and the face of its slain leader were paraded through the streets of Melbourne last weekend. 

"Some may have been named publicly however it's believed they are false names," the AFP said in a statement.

READ MORE: Man arrested for allegedly threatening people with machete

Australia classified Hezbollah's military arm as a threat 21 years ago. 

As of December 2021, the group in its entirety has been considered a terrorist organisation. 

Its flag was absent from today's protests in Victoria and last night's march from the Victoria Barracks to Spencer Street. 

There are concerns the images will reappear at tomorrow's rally on the eve of the anniversary of Hamas' deadly October 7 attack. 

"October 7 isn't a day for celebration, it isn't even a day for commemoration," Victoria's Shadow Treasurer Brad Roswell said.

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The Australian Federal Police, along with all state and territory police, said in a joint statement yesterday there would be "no tolerance" for lawbreaking or violence.

"In Australia, there are offences that prohibit behaviour that incites or advocates violence or hatred based on race and religion, including the display of prohibited symbols in public under these circumstances," the statement read.

"It is also a serious offence to counsel, promote, encourage, urge, instruct or praise terrorism."

Plans for rallies this weekend and on October 7, the anniversary of Hamas' deadly surprise attack on Israel last year that saw 1200 Israeli people killed and more than 200 kidnapped, have sparked controversy this week.

NSW Police announced yesterday that an October 6 protest would go ahead following an alternate route after securing an agreement with protest organisers that no Hezbollah symbols or flags would be displayed.

The plan for a protest on October 7 has been withdrawn, but a vigil will take place instead.

A Sunday protest is also expected to go ahead in Melbourne, followed by a vigil and procession on Monday.

An Adelaide protest will also go ahead after police said organisers had satisfied all legal requirements.

However, it's expected officers will be out in force at all events.

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A man who allegedly threatened people with a machete on a street in Sydney's inner west before he ran into a nearby house has been charged by police.

Emergency services were called to the intersection of Norton Street and Marion Street in Leichhardt at 10.30am today to search for the man.

Policer later arrested the 54-year-old man without incident and took him to Newtown Police station.

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He was charged with four offences including armed with intent to commit an indictable offence, attempted stalk/intimidation with intent to create fear of harm, common assault and affray.

The man from Leichhardt has been refused bail to appear in Parramatta Bail Court tomorrow.

Buses were diverted for about an hour after Marion Street was closed between Cromwell and Elswick streets.

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Disturbing details of a teen's alleged terror plot were heard in court yesterday, after his arrest in Melbourne following a tip-off to Australian police from the FBI.

It's alleged the 19-year-old planned attacks involving a school shooting, derailing a train, a bomb attack on a university, and poisoning Victoria's water supply.

Counter-terrorism police raided the home of a 19-year-old man from Melbourne's southeast and allegedly found handwritten notes detailing the terror plot.

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Police also allegedly found a stockpile of weapons inside the home, as well as metal parts to manufacture a gun, 522 rounds of ammunition, a taser, chemistry glassware, explosive chemicals and homemade guns.

They also allegedly found explosives plans, a bayonet, a flick knife, a slingshot, a military tactical vest, shock collars, walkie-talkies, a gas mask and a firearm shoulder holster.

"This seems to fit with a classic school shooting, American-style," Deakin University terrorism expert Greg Barton told 9News.

"The range of things he was looking at and the range of materials found allegedly, it looks like there's a fair chance there would have been violence had not the police moved in, so that's quite chilling."

READ MORE: Man arrested for allegedly threatening people with machete

The handwritten notes allegedly outline other plans to carry out a shooting at a bus stop, poison members of the public and shoot police officers.

Another note, allegedly written by the teen, threatened to kill high school students if he was expelled.

"If you expel me and put a restraining order on me, I'll show up anyway, kill a random student before I kill myself," the note read.

The 19-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, lives with his family in Melbourne's south-east and left school in Year 11.

It is understood he has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.

The 19-year-old had a firearms licence, which was suspended after he was arrested.

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He was previously arrested and charged with improperly storing ammunition, possessing housebreaking implements, and possessing explosive substances in April only to be released on bail.

His house was searched again several months after that and he was again arrested.

The teen appeared at a bail hearing in the Moorabbin Magistrates Court on Friday.

Police opposed bail, arguing that the 19-year-old is capable of causing mass violence if released.

The man's family wants to monitor him at home instead.

The hearing will resume on Monday.

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