Cool change sweeps across Melbourne three hours early, rain on the way
Temperatures across Melbourne have plummeted as a cool change sweeps across the state. There’s now a chance of rain and storms.
Victoria
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The temperature plummeted 10C in six minutes when a gusty cool change swept through Melbourne earlier than expected.
Cooler air could be felt in the city around 2pm— three hours earlier than the Bureau of Meteorology had previously forecast.
Laverton in the city’s west recorded 41.5C, the hottest temperature in metropolitan Melbourne, before falling dramitically about 1.30pm.
Viewbank, Moorabbin Airport and Scoresby also recorded temperatures in the 40s.
Despite countless warnings, paramedics were still called to three jobs of people trapped in hot cars on Monday.
Victoria’s hottest places would be Shepparton and Yarrawonga in the state’s north —reaching 42.1C and 42.3C respectively at 2pm— with those temperatures set to climb and peak by 5pm.
Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Dean Narramore said rain was expected to move through western parts of the state later in the evening and overnight.
“We could wake up to a wet morning for Australia Day in Melbourne, which will tend to showers and sunny breaks,” he said.
Tuesdays temperatures could be 15C cooler than what was seen on Monday, Mr Narramore said.
About 5-15mm was expected, with isolated heavy falls and storms across the north, Murray and northern parts of the state.
The last time Melbourne saw consecutive days of 35C or more was in mid-November 2020.
“It has been a lot cooler snd milder in Victoria and Australia over the summer,” Mr Narramore said.
Moorabbin Airport had reached 40.6C at 12.30pm and was sitting at 27.3C an hour later.
Gusty winds carried cool air up the bay from 1.30pm, hitting suburbs like Frankston, Moorabbin and St Kilda, with some gusts reaching up to 60km/h.
Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Christie Johnson said the cool change arrived significantly earlier than expected.
“Its gathered a lot of momentum along the coast and is roaring up faster than expected, which means it’ll come through Melbourne earlier,” Ms Johnson said.
“The cool change was always expected to move through the southwest and reach parts of the northwest and central Victoria during the afternoon.”
At Geelong Airport, the temperature dropped from 35.6C to 29.4C between 11.30am and 12pm.
Melbourne exceeded its forecast top of 39C when it climbed 39.2C at 12.30pm.
Moorabbin and Melbourne Airport recorded temperatures of more than 40C.
Your prayers have been answered, #Melbourne! The cool change has sped up, and is now expected through the city within the next hour. The temperature dropped 10°C in an hour as the front moved through #Avalon around midday. Track it on radar: https://t.co/tVma5zqrBh #MelbWeather pic.twitter.com/YvNQJ1FxNF
— Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria (@BOM_Vic) January 25, 2021
Ms Johnson said rain was not expected with the cool change, and would follow later this evening and overnight.
Earlier, the Bureau of Meteorology revised its forecast to include the possibility of thunderstorms later this afternoon.
Temperatures will spike in the mid-40C mark in the state’s north.
The overnight low was 24.5C at 3am.
It had already passed 30C in Melbourne at 7.30am and the city is expected to hit 40C at 2pm.
By contrast, Warrnambool in the state’s southwest was 24C and Port Fairy was 23.3C at 10.30am.
Northeastern parts of Victoria might not see a cool change until the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Melburnians on Sunday tried to sleep during an uncomfortable night of temperatures in the high 20s.
The weather bureau took the unusual step of saying in its forecast that the night would be “oppressive”.
FIREYS PREPARE FOR ‘CHALLENGING’ 24 HOURS
A total fire ban will be in place for six Victorian districts.
A tip fire raged in Melbourne’s west this morning, prompting a smoke warning for 17 suburbs.
Victorians are also being warned to stay safe around water following a spate of drownings across the state.
Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp said Victorians should be prepared for the summer’s worst day of high fire risk.
“This will be one of the most challenging 24 hours in relation to fires for our state,’’ Mr Crisp said.
CFA chief officer Jason Heffernan said conditions were expected to be the most dangerous this summer.
Winds of up to 60km/h could quickly propel any fires if they broke out.
Fire bans are in place for the Mallee, Wimmera, North Country, North Central, East Gippsland and North East.
Forest Fire Management chief fire officer Chris Hardman said there was potential for “very significant and devastating” forest fires as conditions worsened.
“As we know, the prevailing northerly winds in Victoria tend to drive those fires in a long, narrow strip from north to south,” he said.
“And when the risk really occurs is on the wind change, because a fire from that may only be say 500m wide (but) as soon as that change comes through it could be five, six, 10km long. And it is on that wind change where most of the devastating impacts occur.’’
Sixty-four aircraft are on standby to help tackle fires.
Ambulance Victoria director of emergency management Justin Dunlop said paramedics had been called to 24 incidents of people trapped in hot cars since Thursday.
Two cases were on Sunday morning.
Zoo animals didn’t let the heat ruffle their feathers, with ostriches at Werribee Zoo enjoying a dip in the lake.
Some of their neighbours turned to food for relief instead as camels and vervet monkeys went bananas for some frozen treats.
Over at Healesville, Tasmanian devils worked hard but their keepers worked harder, ensuring their furry friends were kept cool and comfortable as the mercury rose.
And at Melbourne Zoo swimming trunks were optional in the Asian elephant enclosure, where the residents spent the day splashing about in their pond.
WATER WARNING AS DROWNINGS SPIKE
Mr Crisp also reminded holidaymakers of the risks of having fun in the water after seven drowning deaths in the past 10 days, including a four-year-old child.
Since July, Victoria had recorded 42 drownings, compared to 34 for the entire previous 12 months.
“You can’t afford to become complacent, no matter where you are,’’ Mr Crisp said.
“We talk about the numbers and in some respects it’s easy to talk about the numbers but what we’re talking about are people. We’re talking about sons, about daughters, about fathers, mothers.
“What that means is these families will be impacted for ever and a day.
“It means on those significant family events, birthdays and weddings, there’ll be an empty seat at the table.’’
Mr Crisp said just 67 of Victoria’s 700 beaches were patrolled so people needed to make informed decisions and swim between the flags.
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