Melbourne temperatures may hit 40C on Friday

Victorians are being blasted with soaring temperatures but a snap change will bring a reprieve. Here’s when it will hit.

Melbourne will likely hit peak temperatures about mid-afternoon before a snap drop in temperature on Friday as the effects of La Nina begin to soften.

Temperatures continue to soar as Melbourne braces for the possibility of reaching 40C for the first time in more than 1000 days.

Following an uncomfortably warm evening, where temperatures briefly dipped below 24C in the city, the Country Fire Authority preemptively issued a total fire ban on Thursday afternoon.

Melburnians find relief at Brighton Beach. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

But senior meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology Dean Narramore said a cool snap would start in the south and move its way north mid-afternoon on Friday.

“We’re expecting the cool change to move through the southern bayside suburbs around that 4pm to 5pm time-frame and then to the city in between 5pm and 6pm,” Mr Narramore said.

The dramatic change is likely to encourage thunderstorm activity tonight through to Saturday, subjecting the central Victorian corridor to potential extreme fire danger.

Rosie Peddie and Alp Semiz cool off at Brighton Beach. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

“The focus today will really be in the central parts of Victoria, including the Melbourne area, where the fire weather warning is current for extreme fire dangers.

“So any dry lightning activity that we do see this afternoon does have the risk of producing new fires around the area,” he said.

Heat being dragged from western and central Australia can be blamed for the hot and dry conditions, with NSW and southern Queensland likely to feel the brunt of the heat over the weekend.

A cool change will send temperatures plummeting on Friday afternoon. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Mr Narramore said Victorians should be expecting a potentially drawn-out, longer than usual summer period after consistent years of La Nina weather patterns.

“We have come off the back of three consecutive La Ninas,” he said.

“We are returning to more of that hot and dry weather.”

Residents in the Central and North Central districts are being urged to be on high alert with an extreme fire warning and a total fire ban.

A CFA spokesman said the total ban meant residents in the Central and North Central districts of Victoria would be unable to light a fire outdoors on Friday.

“No fire can be lit in the open air or be allowed to remain alight in the open air,” they said.

This is only the second total fire ban issued in Victoria this year, with the first being issued on January 2 for the Mallee region.

High temperatures are not the only factor conducive to extreme fire conditions: dry and windy weather, as well as possible thunderstorms later this evening, have heightened the threat of fires.

A swimmer in St Kilda as the mercury soars on Friday morning. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

People cool off in St Kilda as the temperatures climb. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

The CFA advises residents in affected areas to action a pre established Bushfire Survival Plan, closely monitor weather conditions or all call triple Triple-0 in an emergency.

The last time temperatures rose above 38C was January last year, when 39.2 was ­recorded.

The February scorcher comes after a sleepless Thursday night, when temperatures were expected to drop to 24C in the early hours of the morning in Melbourne and high teens in other parts of the state due to cloud cover.

Stacey O’Sullivan and Laura Dugdale cool off at St Kilda Beach. Picture: Mark Stewart

“Unfortunately, a very uncomfortable night across the state,” Mr Efron said.

“Some of that cloud cover will trap that hot air in, so not helping in terms of those temperatures overnight.”

“We’ll see temperatures dropping by about 15 degrees over one to two hours,” Mr Efron said.

“That’s quite a dramatic change there, and also there’s some chance of rain or a thunderstorm.”

But the hot weather has also led to tragedy, with another life lost in Victorian waters on Thursday.

The beach was the place to be on Thursday. Picture: Mark Stewart

A man died after being pulled unconscious from the water at a city beach, less than 24 hours after a double drowning in the state’s east.

Emergency services responded to reports of an unresponsive man at Port Melbourne beach about 12.30pm on Thursday. The man – who on Thursday night was yet to be formally identified – died at the scene.

Should the death at Port Melbourne be deemed a drowning it would mean 21 people have died in reported drownings this summer, according to Life Saving Victoria. BeachSafe confirmed the popular swimming spot was not patrolled on Thursday.