Melbourne weather: Urgent warning as temperatures soar

Total fire bans and weather warnings have been issued in multiple states as hot, dry and windy conditions persist in southern Australia and blazes start.

An emergency warning has been issued for a bushfire in western Victoria, about 50km from where a blaze that destroyed 45 properties days earlier.

Emergency services are warning people to evacuate immediately or prepare to leave from multiple communities near a state park in Victoria’s west.

‘Leaving immediately is the safest option, before conditions become too dangerous,’ Emergency Victoria said.

A burst of very hot, dry and windy weather will cause extreme fire danger across parts of Vic, SA and Tas today, with temperatures predicted to reach the mid to high 30s in Melbourne and Hobart.

Extreme fire warnings have been issued for most of western and central Victoria, along with parts of Tasmania, WA and SA.

This Emergency Warning is being issued for Bayindeen, Buangor, Middle Creek, Mount Cole.

Leaving immediately is the safest option, before conditions become too dangerous.

A watch and act warning is in place for a bushfire in central Tasmania, with emergency services urging those nearby to prepare to leave.

Similar advice has been issued for people near another blaze northwest of Hobart.

WA has total fire bans in place for multiple regions and part of the Eyre Highway is closed shutting off the western side of the Nullarbor, as an out of control blaze west of Balladonia burns into a third week.

Emergency services urge people at the Balladonia Roadhouse to go west towards Norseman.

SA’s Country Fire Service has declared an extreme fire risk in the Mid North, the Murraylands, Riverland and the Upper and Lower South East regions.

Temperatures are expected to top 40C in northwest Victoria, with storms expected to bring 80km/h winds and dry lightning into the afternoon.

Lightning strikes were the big concern for fire authorities, particularly after most of last week’s fires were sparked by strikes, State Emergency Services Minister Jaclyn Symes said.

‘The strike teams are on standby and so is our aerial fleet,’ she told reporters.

‘We have water aircraft dispersed around the state and they can get to those fires that are difficult to access as quickly as possible.’

The Bureau of Meteorology forecasts a cool change bringing storms will move into southwest Victoria in the afternoon and reach the northeast overnight.

Temperatures are expected to top 40C in northwest Victoria, with storms expected to bring 80km/h winds and dry lightning into the afternoon.

‘With those storms, most of the rainfall evaporating before it reaches the ground could produce gusty winds … on top of the already strong winds that we are expecting,’ BOM senior meteorologist Christie Johnson said.

Ms Johnson did not anticipate the weather conditions would be as strong or widespread as a week earlier, when bushfires in the Grampians National Park destroyed 46 properties and razed more than 6000ha of bush and farmland.

A week later, firefighters are still working to contain one of the blazes near Pomonal, where fire destroyed 45 properties.

In Victoria’s east, wind gusts of up to 130km/h smashed transmission infrastructure, cutting power to 530,000 homes and businesses and leaving 37 houses uninhabitable.

About 680 customers remain off power as of Thursday morning.

On Wednesday, Victoria’s State Emergency Service chief officer Tim Wiebusch warned people to be aware of falling branches and avoid unnecessary travel in strong winds.

‘Tie down loose outdoor items including outdoor furniture and trampolines and park your car undercover or away from trees,’ he said.

Read more