Updated ,first published
Victoria may experience its hottest day ever on Tuesday, when temperatures are forecast to climb to almost 50 degrees in parts of the state, intensifying health risks after Melbourne was blanketed with smoke from a dangerous fire in the Otways on Sunday.
Emergency Management Commissioner Tim Wiebusch warned at a press conference on Sunday morning that parts of northern Victoria were likely to experience seven consecutive days above 40 degrees.
“We haven’t seen heatwave conditions like this in Victoria for almost 20 years,” Wiebusch said, referencing the heat on Black Saturday in 2009.
The Bureau of Meteorology forecasts the town of Ouyen in the state’s far north-west will reach 49 degrees on Tuesday, which would be a Victorian record.
“Hopetoun and Walpeup are both forecasting 48 degrees on Tuesday – we could potentially see an all-time record for those two locations,” Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Diana Eddie said.
She warned that Tuesday’s cool change was not expected to arrive in Melbourne until 10pm.
Firefighters are scrambling to contain the Carlisle River fire in the Otways before the fire danger worsens.
The blaze was within a kilometre of Gellibrand, about 50 kilometres north of Apollo Bay, on Sunday after it breached containment lines about 6pm on Saturday amid scorching heat.
Air quality alerts for Melbourne, Geelong and surrounds were upgraded shortly after 9am on Sunday as winds pushed smoke from the Otways across central Victoria.
The haze may linger for hours, the warnings said, adding: “The smoke may aggravate existing heart and lung conditions and cause irritated eyes, coughing and wheezing.”
Eddie said the smoke would begin to clear in Geelong and Melbourne on Sunday afternoon.
“That being said, those winds are going to tend from the south, so it means areas to the north of the Otway fires could see a degradation in air quality,” she said. “Locations like Ballarat, in particular, could be affected throughout today.”
Melbourne wa forecast to reach a maximum temperature of 25 degrees on Sunday, providing some respite before extreme heat returns on Tuesday.
The Environment Protection Agency Victoria initially rated the air quality at Spotswood as fair early on Sunday, but downgraded its rating to very poor at 8am.
An emergency warning for the Carlisle River fire, issued at 5.19am, warned people to take shelter as the blaze was being pushed east towards Gellibrand, which has a population of 230.
However, the alert was downgraded to watch-and-act at 1.50pm.
A State Control Centre spokesperson said several strike teams battled the blaze overnight, focusing on protecting buildings.
Chief Fire Officer Chris Hardman said buildings may have been lost, but assessors were yet to examine and report back about the damage in thick bushland on Sunday morning.
“That heating that will be with us on Tuesday will again cause that fire to move, potentially rapidly,” he said.
Hardman also warned that the Walwa fire in the High Country near the NSW border could challenge firefighters for weeks as it grows to more than 100,000 hectares.
“As early as later today, or certainly tomorrow, we could see that fire escape its containment lines and move to the south,” he said. “Although there are no large communities at risk, this is one to watch in the weeks ahead.”
On ABC television earlier, Hardman added: “That fire has got incredibly high temperatures and an unstable atmosphere.”
Forest Fire Management Victoria crews are also battling a fire near Dargo, which is under a watch-and-act warning.
“Even though people in Melbourne on the coast will be seeing milder conditions today, the winds at elevation could challenge firefighters in that area as well,” Hardman said.
A total fire ban remains active for the Northern Country, North Central, North East, and Gippsland fire districts today.
More than 1000 structures have been damaged by bushfires in Victoria so far this summer, 289 of them homes.
The Longwood fire devastated parts of central Victoria earlier this month, but is contained.
“It’s very early in the season,” Hardman said. “We’ve had some terrible fires, but it’s not the time to turn our gaze away from the challenges ahead.”
In the state’s west, Mildura, Nhill, Hopetoun and Horsham all reached 42 degrees on Saturday.
The Australian Open was suspended briefly as temperatures reached 38.1 degrees at Melbourne Park.
Mount Gellibrand, near the Otways fire ground, reached 38.6 degrees.
Ambulance Victoria said paramedics responded to 11 cases of children locked in cars as temperatures soared on Saturday.
“Hot cars can kill,” said Ambulance Victoria emergency management director Dale Armstrong.
“Victorians also need to be cautious and take preventative steps to avoid illnesses such as heat stroke. Those most at risk are the elderly, the young, the pregnant and those with medical conditions.”
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