Cool change heading for Melbourne after heatwave, but fire danger remains elsewhere
For Melbourne, weather bureau forecaster Lincoln Trainor expected temperatures across the city to remain below 17 degrees on Tuesday night.
Northern Victoria will continue to experience a low-intensity heatwave until at least Thursday, and the bureau said the stretch might continue into the weekend.
In Mildura, temperatures are forecast to remain in the mid-to-high 30s until at least Monday. On Tuesday, the regional city reached a top of 41 degrees. Elsewhere, Shepparton peaked at 39 degrees and Bendigo hit 38.
Tuang Chen and her son, Ming Chen, enjoy the arrival of the cool change at Carlton Gardens on Tuesday afternoon.Credit: Chris Hopkins
Melbourne was forecast to reach a top of 24 degrees on Wednesday, while Geelong was expected to reach 24, Warrnambool 22, Ballarat 26 and Sale was expecting a top of 23 degrees.
Overnight into Tuesday, there were 146,000 lightning strikes across Victoria, with about 19,000 hitting the ground.
The State Emergency Service said it had responded to more than 1100 calls for assistance due to building damage and fallen trees across Victoria since 9am on Sunday.
About 1700 properties statewide remained without electricity as of Tuesday afternoon as energy companies continued repairing faults.
Little Desert fires still out-of-control near South Australian border
As of Tuesday evening, several watch-and-act alerts remained in effect for the Little Desert National Park fires.
Three NSW firefighters narrowly escaped the Little Desert fire as it engulfed their vehicle on Monday.
The Little Desert fire most recently prompted VicEmergency to advise residents to leave now in the area west of Kaniva-Edenhope road, near the South Australian border.
The NSW firefighters’ vehicle was engulfed by fire in the Little Desert blaze on Monday.
Much of the Little Desert National Park is in the West Wimmera Shire, which has endured bushfire emergencies in two of the past three years.
Mayor Tim Meyer said while his community was used to big fires, they could still use support.
“We just need the resources [to fight fires], that’s the main thing, and air support is a big part of that. Any improvements or further developments for our airports across the shire are appreciated,” he said.
Meyer said road closures in the area affected day-to-day life for residents, such as in Kaniva, where the pharmacy had been unable to get medication for several days.
Dawn over Melbourne on Tuesday morning after another hot night.Credit: Jason South
In the Otway Ranges, a watch-and-act alert for bushfires at Hordern Vale and Cape Horn, just east of Apollo Bay on the Great Ocean Road, was downgraded to an advice message on Tuesday for areas nearby.
Premier Jacinta Allan said financial support was already available to fire-affected Grampians communities.
“We are still very much in an emergency phase,” she said.
“We will continue to support the work of our emergency services and the volunteers who have been working for weeks now keeping these communities safe … we will need to continue to work and support and listen to the local community as the fire risk eases, but it hasn’t eased yet.”
With Cassandra Morgan
