Extreme heatwave may break records in Victoria as firefighters warn of bushfire risk in ‘very dry’ state | Bushfires

A day of record-breaking heat is upon us for Victoria; Melbourne is facing its hottest day since Black Saturday 2009, with temperatures expected to reach 49°C in the Mallee.

The temperature was 26.1 degrees as the sun rose on Tuesday over Ouyen, a small Victorian town of 1,170. That town’s predicted high temperature was 49 degrees, which would break the state’s temperature record of 48.8 degrees set in Hopetoun on Black Saturday 2009. The mercury had climbed to 47 degrees just after lunch.

The region did not experience a single drop of rainfall throughout January, and only 13.6 mm of rainfall was recorded in December. The fire danger rating was extreme on Tuesday.

Country Fire Authority chief Jason Heffernan said Victoria was facing both heat and fire emergencies. He said Tuesday was “not a day for complacency” and urged people to limit unnecessary travel.

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With six major fires burning across the state, high to extreme fire conditions will increase the risk of fire spread. Authorities were particularly concerned about the Carlisle River fire in the Otways; This fire can pose a serious threat to homes, property and lives. A complete shooting ban was in effect statewide.

Fire danger was extreme across much of South Australia, including the eastern Eyre peninsula, mid-north, Mount Lofty ranges, Yorke Peninsula, Kangaroo Island, Riverland, Murraylands and the south-east. There was a complete fire ban for these districts.

Heffernan told the ABC it would be a challenging day not just for firefighters but for Victorians in general.

Four areas around the Carlisle River fire have been ordered to be inspected. evacuate immediately. Heffernan said the greatest wildfire danger would arrive on Tuesday afternoon.

“We expect the fire to break out today due to warm winds coming in from the north, but the change that will come around 5pm with really strong winds is likely to do most of the damage and drive the fire further towards the Otways,” he said.

“Today is a day where we must not become complacent. Although we are focused on the Walwa and Carlisle River fire, frankly the state is very, very dry. Any fires caught will be a challenge to the community.”

He said communities should take care to care for the old, young and infirm amid the heatwave.

According to the Bureau of Meteorology, January and all-time records were expected to fall in eastern South Australia and across Victoria on Tuesday, with inland temperatures expected to approach 50°C.

Ouyen and Mildura in northwest Victoria were expected to reach 49 degrees. Mildura recorded 46.9 degrees by 14:00.

Ouyen came close to a record just two weeks ago, reaching 47.5C on Thursday 8 January. Tuesday is the fifth consecutive day that temperatures will exceed 40°C; This is expected to be followed by another four days of temperatures above 40°C; This will result in extreme temperatures above 40°C for a total of nine full days.

Senior meteorologist Jonathan How said the heatwave would be difficult for many people in Victoria to understand. Any temperature above 48C was extremely rare for the state.

A maximum temperature of 45 degrees was expected for Melbourne, 20 degrees above average, making it the hottest day for the city since Black Saturday, when temperatures reached 46.4 degrees. Games will continue at the Australian Open in accordance with extreme heat protocols. Temperatures in the city were 39C in the early afternoon and 44C in southwestern suburbs such as Laverton.

On Monday, the heatwave hit 44.7C in Adelaide just after 5pm, the city’s hottest day since 2019, and 46.5C in the northern suburb of Elizabeth. Ceduna on the Eyre Peninsula reached a scorching temperature of 49.5 degrees; this was the town’s hottest temperature recorded in 84 years of data.

There was little relief overnight in Adelaide, where the minimum temperature was 34.1C, the city’s hottest night on record. Residents woke up at 6am to 35C.

Victoria’s chief health officer Dr Caroline McElnay said prolonged heat combined with high temperatures overnight increased the risk of heat-related illness.

“Heat-related illnesses can occur quickly, so it’s important to know the warning signs,” McElnay said.

“Significant symptoms include excessive sweating, dizziness, nausea, headache, pale or clammy skin, or feeling unusually weak or confused. If someone is showing signs of heatstroke, such as very high body temperature, flushed skin, confusion or loss of consciousness, call Triple Zero (000) immediately.”

The SA State Emergency Service reminded people to be careful under mature trees after crews responded to more than 50 calls for help regarding downed trees and branches by midday on Tuesday.

“Just like humans, trees are subject to heat stress, which increases the risk of large tree limbs falling or complete collapse,” said SES civil servant Kane Murray.

A cool change was forecast to bring some relief to coastal areas of South Australia and Victoria, reaching Adelaide just after lunch on Tuesday and Melbourne around 8-9pm.

However, inland areas in Victoria, SA and New South Wales, severe, extreme heat with temperatures in the mid-to-high 40s was expected to continue into next weekend.

Dubbo, NSW also recorded a January record high of 46.1C at the airport on Monday. More records could be broken on Wednesday as heat spreads inland, into western NSW and north-east Victoria.

Australia’s energy market operator said the electricity grid was prepared with enough generation to meet increased demand due to the heat. Network company Powercor has urged households to be prepared by charging their phones and other devices in the event of local outages due to bushfires or extreme weather.

This was Australia’s second major heatwave in January, following a heatwave in early January; analysts said this is five times more likely due to global warming.

The climate crisis has increased the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, including heat waves and wildfires.

Warmer than average days and nights were expected to continue through April across much of the country, according to the latest long-range forecast. Sea surface temperatures will remain above the global average, including around Australia.

-With additional reporting by Nick Visser and Lisa Cox