Melbourne records hottest day of 2022

With just days until 2023, Melbourne has sweltered through the hottest day of the year.

Hundreds of people flocked to St Kilda on Christmas Day. Picture: David Crosling

Melbourne has sweltered through the hottest day of the year - reaching 37.2 - on Tuesday, while this evening is forecast to bring the highest overnight minimum in almost five years.

Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Ilana Cherny said the city overtook 2022’s previous record - set on January 1 when the mercury hit 37.1 - while Walpeup, Longerenong and Dartmoor reached 41C, the hottest in Victoria.

With just days until 2023, several other Victorian towns recorded their top temperature of the year including Ballarat, 34.9 C; Horsham, 39.3C and Wangaratta, 37C, on the third and final day of the heatwave.

Paramedics were called to four cases - including three children - of people stuck in hot cars on Tuesday, but a spokeswoman said all were removed quickly and okay.

While a cool change is forecast for Wednesday, Victorians hoping for a break from the heat this evening will be unlikely to get a reprieve.

Ms Cherny said Melbourne was expected to endure their hottest overnight minimum temperature since January 2018.

“We’re forecasting a minimum of 26C, which is very hot and uncomfortable,” she said.

The record-breaking forecast comes after ambulance callouts spiked during the warm night on Monday.

Ambulance Victoria executive director Anthony Carlyon said their workload rose by 13 per cent amid the heatwave.

Ella, 8, Harry, 11, and Alex, 13, get some beach cricket in at Port Melbourne Beach as the temperature spikes. Picture: Tony Gough

While Wednesday’s cool change will bring some relief, it will also herald damaging weather and follows a severe storm warning for heavy rainfall in parts of the Gippsland and North East Forecast districts on Tuesday afternoon.

“The cool change will move through the western parts of the state on Wednesday morning, arriving in Melbourne and central Victoria in the middle of the day,” Ms Cherny said.

“As that change comes through, there will be a band of showers and thunderstorms and gusterly winds moving across the state.”

The Bureau’s severe thunderstorm warning said heavy rainfall, flash flooding, damaging winds and large hailstones were likely on Tuesday afternoon after a “hot and unstable”atmosphere triggered thunderstorms.

Locations included Morwell, Traralgon, Moe and Mt Baw Baw.

The Bureau’s severe weather warning said damaging wind gusts of up to 90km/h would be likely over the Grampians, Otways and eastern ranges from the early hours of Wednesday, with elevated areas most at risk.

The warning applied to the Central, East Gippsland, South West, North Central, North East, West and South Gippsland and Wimmera forecast districts, which includes Bacchus Marsh, Yarra Glen, Falls Creek and Stawell.

Originally published as Melbourne records hottest day of 2022