Scorching temperatures across Victoria prompt warning for swimmers

Victorians will swelter through another scorching summer day on Tuesday, but relief will come from a cold change expected overnight.

The Bureau of Meteorology’s Mark Anolak said northerly winds would bring scorching temperatures from inland Australia to Victoria.

The hot weather will send many Victorians looking for respite at the beach.Credit:Scott McNaughton

“It will be very hot in Melbourne at a top of 36 degrees with a bit of a shower and a rumple of thunder later,” the senior meteorologist said.

“[There will be] showers and some thunder, but they won’t reach the city until after dark.”

But the hottest temperatures are expected to be in the state’s north-west, with Mildura to hit a top of 42 and Kerang expected to reach 39.

It would also be a “slightly uncomfortable night” with temperatures to hover near 20 degrees until the cool change in the early hours.

“It’s going to be one of those nights; very warm and then a gradual decrease in temperature as the southerly winds kicks in,” Anolak said.

Life Saving Victoria’s area manager Liam O’Callaghan told 3AW on Tuesday his organisation was preparing for large crowds at Victoria’s popular beaches.

“It’s been a tricky year so far in Victoria because since the July 1 there have been 28 fatal drownings … and our lifeguards have performed 480 rescues so far this season,” he said.

According to Life Saving Victoria, there were four fatal drownings in Victoria from Christmas Day to December 27, and there have been five additional tragedies in the water since then.

The organisation urged people to head to a patrolled location and swim between the red and yellow flags.

In response to Tuesday’s forecast, the state’s regional train service V/Line warned passengers it would operate all lines on an “extreme heat” timetable on Tuesday afternoon.

“Trains that usually travel at up to 160km/h need to slow down to 90km/h or less because steel tracks expand in the heat,” according to V/line.

The hot weather also prompted Yarra Trams to alert its passengers to possible service changes throughout the day.

From Wednesday, there will be a reprieve from the sweltering temperatures, according to the weather bureau.

“We’ve got a bit of a reprieve this week before temperatures start to rise again at the weekend,” Anolak said.

Melbourne’s top temperature is expected to stay in the low-to-mid 20s for the rest of the week, before climbing to 27 degrees on Saturday.

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