Victorians are being warned to brace for another heatwave, with temperatures set to soar towards record levels in some parts of the state, putting authorities on alert in fire-affected areas. The Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Kevin Parkyn described a “dome of heat” moving east from Western Australia, causing prolonged hot weather.
Saturday will mark the start of at least five days above 40°C for inland areas of South Australia, Victoria and NSW. Melbourne is forecast to reach 40°C on Saturday, dip to 25°C on Sunday and 30°C on Monday, then rise to 41°C on Tuesday. In northern Victoria, Ouyen near Mildura is forecast to reach 48°C.
“Many centres are probably going to approach their all-time maximum records. This is quite a significant day on Tuesday,” Parkyn said. The hot weather is expected to continue in northern Victoria through the week, with no meaningful rain forecast for the next fortnight.
Extreme fire danger is predicted for the south-west and the Wimmera on Saturday. Seven major active fires are burning across Victoria, including at Walwa, Wonnangatta Complex (Dargo) and Mallacoota, which are not yet under control. The Longwood fire, now contained, destroyed 320 homes and burnt 144,000 hectares since 9 January.
Country Fire Authority chief officer Jason Heffernan warned that the heat and topography could cause fires to “spread rather rapidly” with “quite volatile fire behaviour”. Catastrophic fire danger is forecast for South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula, with extreme danger expected across much of southern SA and the Mount Lofty Ranges on Saturday, extending to southern NSW and the ACT on Sunday.
Australia experienced its fourth-warmest year on record in 2025, with average temperatures up 1.23°C nationally. The climate crisis has increased the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, including heatwaves and bushfires.
