Total fire bans enforced as Victoria bakes in heat surge

UPDATE: PASSENGERS are stranded on the Spirit of Tasmania tonight after the ship broke its moorings triggering chaotic scenes at Port Melbourne during a freak storm that swept the city.

UPDATE: PASSENGERS are stranded on the Spirit of Tasmania tonight after the ship broke its moorings triggering chaotic scenes at Port Melbourne during a freak storm that swept the city.

The ship is now secure at Station Pier, but people are still unable to disembark.

The ship’s team have confirmed that all passengers are safe and asked for patience while the situation is assessed.

A passenger on the ship, who asked not to be named, said the vessel began drifting uncontrollably when severe winds snapped its moorings this afternoon.

The ship’s scheduled 7.30pm departure has been delayed, and it appears unlikely to depart tonight.

“We were 80m from mounting the beach before a tug boat came and pulled us at full speed back into the ocean.”

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“The whole beach was evacuated and firefighters and police are both on the boat and on the shore.”

“Everyone is very calm and we’ve been offered complimentary food and drinks.”

The man said people were being encouraged to go to their cabins, despite the air-conditioning being switched off.

Access to vehicles and other cargo is unlikely after extensive damage to the loading doors was done during the 100km wind gusts.

The Spirit of Tasmania released a statement this released an updated statement at 8pm saying: “Spirit of Tasmania’s boarding / departing ramp at Station Pier has been damaged due to severe winds in the Port Melbourne area.”

“The ship is currently unable to let passengers and vehicles disembark.”

“Spirit of Tasmania II is now secured alongside Station Pier in Port Melbourne.”

“Passengers on board are being updated.”

“Spirit of Tasmania is assessing the situation and asks for everyone’s patience.”

“Spirit of Tasmania can confirm that passengers are safe onboard.”

Spirit of Tasmania appears to have broken its mooring & is drifting towards the beach pic.twitter.com/8ZmS74LUyf

— George Donikian (@GeorgeDonikian) January 13, 2016

Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Richard Carlyon said the strong winds coincided with a 10 degree drop in temperature.

“At 6pm, wind gusts of 54 knots, or 100kmh were recorded at St Kilda,” he said.

“There were showers in the area but the rain was not really hitting the ground.”

The temperature peaked at 42.2 degrees, and was still 41.6 degrees at 5.30pm. The temperature was 31.4 degrees an hour later.

The SES received 236 calls for help as the cool change moved across the state with calls from Colac and Ballarat before the weather headed across the east.

State Control Centre spokesman Gerard Schelton said the hot spots for calls were in the outer eastern suburbs, including Lilydale, Doncaster and Narre Warren.

More than 150 calls were for trees and tree branches blowing down and 32 were for damage to buildings.

Mr Schelton said it was a busy night but not a huge event for SES crews.

The severe thunderstorm also whipped up a sudden dust storm across the city in the wake of a heatwave that forced everyone inside, triggered major train delays and whipped up fires.

The dust storm clouded Melbourne as a cool change dropped temperatures by at least 10C across the city.

The Spirit of Tasmania drifts at the height of the storm. Picture: Alex Young.

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Peter Newham said the dust storm that blanketed parts of Melbourne occurred when strong winds up to 100km/h stirred up dust caused by extended dry weather conditions.

“We occasionally get dust storms in Melbourne but it doesn’t happen very often,” he said.

A further drop in temperature wasn’t expected until late tonight when southwest to southerly winds come through.

Earlier, Melburnians were warned to stay inside to shelter from the 40C heat, as high winds whipped up fires in parts of the state.

About 5.30pm the weather bureau had warned that severe thunderstorms with damaging winds up to 100km/h had been detected on weather radar near Melton and Werribee.

These thunderstorms were expected to affect Caulfield, Craigieburn, Footscray, Frankston, Melbourne City, Rosebud, St Albans and Sunbury by 6pm and Dandenong, Glen Waverley, Greensborough, Preston and Ringwood a half an hour later.

Meantime, emergency services reported flare ups in Dandenong, Langwarrin, Carrum Downs and Seaford, encouraged by winds gusting above 60km/h, while an out of control bushfire continues to blazed in dense bushland behind Wye River.

#MelbourneWeather watching this monster of a storm roll in... I love this city! #summerstorm #fourseasonsinoneday pic.twitter.com/dZX1jK9KCx

— Todd McLarty (@ToddRiver89) January 13, 2016

Weather bureau forecaster Peter Newnham said sweltering residents could expect to see a delayed, weaker cool change around 6pm, but not before some areas near the city hit 43C.

“It could be a weak cool change earlier this evening with a chance of a shower or thunderstorm, a proper cool change might not come down until between 10pm and midnight,” he said.

The heat is not helping commuters either, as Metro Trains alerting travellers of heat-related speed restrictions across its whole network from mid-afternoon.

Longer travel times and alterations were expected, it said.

Heat speed restrictions are now in place across the network. Journey times will be extended. More info here - https://t.co/uiUJAJMjfc

— Metro Trains (@metrotrains) January 13, 2016

Travel alerts were issued late in the day on the Belgrave, Craigeburn, Frankston, Lilydale, Sunbury and Werribee lines, with a string of cancellations and alterations. The Werribee line appeared to be worst affected during the peak. (details here).

Not surprisingly, emotions boiled over on some trains as commuters were forced to sweat it out in packed carriages as airconditioned failed on several services.

Parliament Station, 5:15pm, on a 42°C track-speed limited day. #MetroTrains pic.twitter.com/vkUxPMwz9s

— Michael Bell (@Xtrackka) January 13, 2016

One train was seen with smoke issuing from the undercarriage, as the system struggled in the unrelenting heat.

Louise Lyndon pleaded: “About to pass out. Turn airconditioner on. Please”

Metro Trains spokeswoman Sammie Black said that airconditioners had failed on about 10 services.

“But the network in fact ran well today,” Ms Black said.

@metrotrains no wonder your trains don't run on time! pic.twitter.com/1TvTkDpirt

— Kendall Cini (@kjcman) January 13, 2016

English lasses Lauren Walker, Victoria Currie, and Bobbie Mitchell hit the beach at St Kilda. Picture: Alex Coppel

Earlier weather bureau forecaster Peter Blake told the Herald Sun that Melbourne became hot unusually quickly today.

“It was fairly cool overnight but we saw a fast rise this morning,” he said.

“The temperature will drop around 5C as it moves across the state, and continue to fall into the evening.”

Temperatures passed 30C at Melbourne Airport about 9am, hit 35.9C at 10.30am, and climbed to 40C by 12pm.

It’s a day of extreme fire danger in all of western Victoria, including Wimmera, Mallee and South West regions with total fire bans in force in all areas across the state except East Gippsland.

The weather bureau also issued a severe thunderstorm warning about 2.30pm for the Wimmera, and parts of the Mallee and South West districts.

It said, severe thunderstorms were likely to produce damaging winds over several hours, affecting areas including Mildura, Horsham, Stawell, Warracknabeal, Hamilton and Ararat.

In Melbourne, it had hit 40C by 1.40pm, and some areas — including Coldstream, Laverton, Moorabin Airport and Essendon Airport — reached 40C before 1pm.

Melbourne Airport hit 41.4C just before 2.30pm.

Under the pier at Albert Park proved a great place to stay cool. Picture: Alex Coppel

In Mildura, which stayed warm overnight, the mercury has just passed 41C at 12pm, with an expected top of 45C.

Residents are holing up in the shade and air-conditioning wherever they can, but one elderly man got into strife trying to keep cool.

Off-duty police dragged the elderly man from the Yarra River after got into trouble seeking relief from the heat.

The 78-year-old Toorak man jumped from the Church St bridge at 11am but could not swim.

The officers dragged him from the water, before the lucky would-be swimmer was taken to the Alfred Hospital for observation.

Elsewhere, staff at Flinders St 7Eleven told the Herald Sun they had sold over 100 Slurpee drinks before lunch, nearly breaking their machine.

Hard to escape the sun at @NMFCOfficial - coaches find the only shaded spot as the players battle the heat. #nmfc pic.twitter.com/MysTqhkvVk

— Heath O'Loughlin (@thossian) January 13, 2016

And emergency services are pleading with Victorians to put safety first, after paramedics were called out to four separate incidents of kids locked in cars across Melbourne yesterday.

Despite the warnings, paramedics have already been called out to three incidents of a child locked in a car this morning.

Ambulance Victoria Health Commander Paul Holman has warned that going outside in today’s heat “could kill you” in an online message urging Victorians to stay indoors.

“You have to respect the heat. Today is an extreme heat day, heat kills, you need to be hydrated, but you also need to adjust your behaviour,” he said.

He said it’s not just the elderly who need to be wary.

“Unfortunately one of the tragic things we do see is that young runners are coming in with cardiac arrests. Young people think they’re invincible to the heat but no body is invincible,” he added.

“Why anyone would torture their child by putting them in a sweatbox is beyond me,” Mr Holman said.

Meanwhile, residents sweltering in Melbourne’s east were without air-conditioning this morning due to a power outage.

Up to 1600 people living in Croydon, Ringwood and Healesville were hit by the outage.

AusNet representative Hugo Armstrong said engineers couldn’t remotely switch the power back on due to the fire risk, delaying restoration of power until around 11am.

“If repairs are required we have teams ready to go, we’ve cancelled all planned work,” he said.

CFA chief officer Joe Buffone said the risk of fire was extreme in much of the state.

He said the heat, combined with strong northerly winds, meant the public had to be prepared.

“Forests and grass are bone dry and if a fire starts, it will run quickly in today’s conditions,” Mr Buffone said.

Some will opt to cool off at the beach as the state swelters.

Lucas Joffily and Tamara McMahon enjoy the bay at Brighton Beach. Picture: IAN CURRIE

“Have a plan in place, and leave early if you decide to go,” he said.

“Smoke on the horizon can be a fire on your doorstep in minutes.”

The Wye River fire is still burning out of control.

Emergency Management Commissioner Craig Lapsley said all hands would be on deck battling that blaze.

“Wye River is still a going fire, though it is extinguished on the Great Ocean Road,” Mr Lapsley said.

“It’s got fire in the deep-seated forest, which is west of Wye River, and if the fire runs it could be a concern to the Kennett River community and Grey River community.

“It’s very difficult to extinguish the last parts of it, but we’re confident the work that’s been done hopefully will contain it inside the control lines.”

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