By Brittany Busch
Victoria sweltered through a second consecutive day of extreme heat, but a cool change is not expected to make its way across the state until late on Sunday.
Melbourne’s temperature peaked at 37.5 degrees at 4pm, just shy of the Bureau of Meteorology’s forecast top of 38, and was still above 34 degrees at 7pm. In the city’s northern suburbs, where a top of 40 was expected, the temperature reached 39 degrees at 2pm.
Melbourne is sweltering through another hot summer day.Credit: Eddie Jim
A severe heatwave warning from the Bureau of Meteorology remains in place for East Gippsland and the West and South Gippsland districts, while a northerly wind kept temperatures high for most of the day.
“We’ve got a cool change making its way across the state that’s expected to reach western Victoria late this afternoon or into early this evening, and then progress eastward, probably reaching Melbourne after midnight,” senior meteorologist Joanna Hewes said.
She said a rain band was expected to make its way across the state on Monday, bringing two to nine millimetres of rain and a top of 22 degrees in the city.
State Control Centre spokeswoman Reegan Key said gusty wind would make conditions tricky for firefighters, who were called to fresh blazes on Sunday afternoon in the state’s Central Goldfields region.
Residents were urged to remain alert as fire crews fought to control blazes at Moliagul, west of Bendigo, and near Maryborough, north of Ballarat. Key said conditions would become more “unsettled” as winds shift and clouds moved in.
Total fire bans remained in place on Sunday for central Victoria, including Melbourne and Geelong, and in the Mallee, Wimmera, North Central and South-West districts. The fire danger remains high for the rest of the state. The Grampians National Park bushfire that has burnt 76,000 hectares and destroyed several homes is yet to be brought under control.
State response controller Jason Heffernan said it had been a busy start to the season, and urged Victorians to do their bit in hot and dry conditions in which a blaze could quickly spread out of control.
“[Firefighters] are ready to respond today but Victorians need to play their part and not do things which could cause fires or unnecessary call-outs,” he said.
Victorians seeking relief from the heat have also been urged to be careful in the water, after a deadly few days at the state’s beaches and rivers.
On Friday, a jet-ski rider died after being found unresponsive in the water at Rye, while an eight-year-old boy drowned in a river in Cobbannah, in East Gippsland.
Three people were also rushed to hospital in two incidents at Safety Beach on Saturday.
Life Saving Victoria state agency commander Kane Treloar said lifesavers assisted in two mass rescues on Saturday, pulling almost 20 people from rips at Portsea and Jan Juc in what was one of the busiest days in decades.
“We performed 145 rescues right across the state [on Saturday] and when you consider that we performed a total of 849 for the entire season last season, we don’t remember a day where we’ve been that busy and so many Victorians have needed our help,” Treloar said.
Heffernan reminded swimmers to be vigilant.
“If you are going to the beach or a river during the weekend’s hot weather, always swim with a friend. Stay between the red and yellow flags at beaches and be careful of hidden dangers such as submerged objects, debris and strong currents in inland waterways,” he said.
Deputy Premier Ben Carroll urged all Victorians to stay up-to-date with weather conditions and follow advice.
“We still have a long summer period ahead,” he said. “Please stay alert, stay active and make sure you keep up to date with the advice at hand.”
With AAP
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