Victorian firefighters on alert as heat arrives

PARTS of Victoria will have their first severe bushfire danger day for the season as an early blast of summery heat bakes the state.

Landscape in Lancefield. Cow in morning sun. Generic farm. Cattle. PHOTO: ZOE PHILLIPS

PARTS of Victoria will have their first severe bushfire danger day for the season as an early blast of summery heat bakes the state.

Melbourne is expecting a top of 34C on Monday, but temperatures will nudge 40C in the Mallee district as strong, dry northerly winds blow.

A cool change is expected to start crossing the state on Tuesday afternoon.

Heat and dry winds on Saturday kept Country Fire Authority crews busy fighting more than 60 fire outbreaks across Victoria.

Metropolitan Fire Brigade chief officer Peter Rau says the early burst of unseasonal heat is a prelude to a long, hot and dry summer.

“It’s really early for this sort of stuff,” he told AAP.

“The people from all fire organisations have been really busy really early and all the predictors are that it will be a long, hot season, particularly with starting as early as October.” Temperatures will reach well into the 30s across Victoria on Monday and Tuesday, with highs of 39C and 38C respectively for Mildura.

Northerly winds will become increasingly strong, gusting over 100km/h, before a cool change begins crossing Victoria on Tuesday afternoon.

The conditions on Monday will force the first severe fire danger ratings for the season, which will affect the South West, Central and North Central districts.

On Tuesday it will be the first extreme fire danger day in the North Central district, and severe fire danger day in the Mallee and Central districts.

Authorities will reassess the situation on Monday morning, Mr Rau said.