Meteorologist says Victoria’s summer conditions have been ‘strange’ due to cool southerlies

The city sweltered through its hottest day of summer on Sunday, while in Mildura the temperature soared to 43C.

People flocked to Williamstown beach on Sunday. Picture: Ian Currie

Hundreds of thousands of Victorians raced to the state’s waters on the hottest day of summer on Sunday as the intense heat warped train lines and firefighters doused grass blazes.

Temperatures soared to a sweltering 43C in Mildura, with Melbourne and its surrounds reaching a maximum of 38C.

High temperatures stuck around late into the evening, which Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Briony Macpherson said was the result of delayed wind changes.

“Victoria is dependent on those wind changes on hot days to bring the temperatures down,” she said.

Jessica Robson and Joe Koz took a dip at South Melbourne beach. Picture: Ian Currie

Brandon Mathis and Angel Mammoliti had a swim at St Kilda beach. Picture: Ian Currie

Ms Macpherson said Victoria’s summer conditions had been “strange” this year, with the cool southerlies providing more consecutive days where temperatures only reached the low 20s.

“These southerlies would normally stay at the most, five days,” she said.

“Now, we have had a week of mild conditions due to the southerlies and we will have another week of mild conditions.”

Conditions will be mild and overcast this week, but no rain or showers are forecast. And there’ll be another scorcher of 30C next Sunday.

Hundreds of thousands flocked to Melbourne beaches, with huge crowds at Williamstown, St Kilda, Brighton and Elwood.

One reveller at Williamstown Beach said: “I’ve never seen it this busy.”

Williamstown beach was busy. Picture: Ian Currie

People cooled off in the water at South Melbourne. Picture: Ian Currie

Elsewhere, there was a narrow escape for three people pulled from the water and taken to hospital at Kilcunda Beach on Sunday afternoon.

A man in his 40s was airlifted to the Alfred Hospital in a serious but stable condition, while a teenage girl and a primary school-aged girl were taken to Wonthaggi Hospital for further assessment where they were last night in a stable condition.

Firefighters were on high alert throughout the day, with a total fire ban for the Wimmera and Mallee districts and high fire risk for most other districts.

A haystack fire at Leitchvale spread to nearby grasslands at around 1pm, but was brought under control by crews around two hours later.

A grass fire in Harcourt North started at around 4:10pm but was brought under control.

Two more grass fires; one starting at 2.30pm in Natimuk, one at 3.30pm in Pirron Yallock remained at advice level into the night, with the CFA unable to get them under control due to the hot and dry conditions.

Metro Trains also confirmed trains travelling through two stations on the Belgrade and Mernda lines had to slow down due to rails expanding in the heat.