Melbourne set for hot temperatures while parts of Victoria under fire ban

Parts of Victoria are readying for scorching temperatures with authorities listing a total fire ban in parts of the state.

Victoria is bracing for some severe weather on Wednesday with parts of the state under a total fire ban and hot temperatures set for Melbourne.

North-westerly winds and temperatures in the low 40s have put authorities on alert with a total fire ban (TFB) declared for the Mallee, Wimmera and Northern Country districts.

A TFB means no fire can be lit in the open air or allowed to remain alight from 12.01am to 11.59pm on the day of the ban.

A total fire ban will be in place in parts of Victoria on Wednesday.

The combination of heat and strong, north-westerly winds has forced the Country Fire Authority (CFA) to elevate the fire danger rating to severe for those three fire districts.

The fire danger is also very high across the North Central and North East fire districts, while it has been set to high across southern Victoria.

CFA chief Jason Heffernan said there was an elevated fire risk until at least the early evening.

“Just like we did on Monday, the Mallee, Wimmera and Northern Country will on Wednesday experience elevated, dangerous fire conditions,” he said.

The warning comes after grass fires broke out during Monday’s severe weather. Mr Heffernan slammed several deliberately lit fires in the state.

“We saw campfires lit in places along the Murray River, near Myrtleford and Apollo Bay on a day of very hot and windy conditions. There were also a number of backyard bonfires in residential areas, which is really disappointing on such a hot day,” he said.

CFA chief Jason Heffernan was disappointed in the deliberately lit fires in Victoria on Monday when there was also a total fire ban.

Meanwhile, temperatures in Melbourne are expected to reach 33C, while conditions will be mostly sunny. The city is also expecting north-westerly winds of up to 25 km/h during the afternoon and then bayside sea breezes.