Victoria swelters, fire danger "extreme" - but the heat won't last

Victoria is feeling the heat for the start of the working week and firefighters are bracing for "extreme" fire danger before temperatures are set to nosedive, just in time for dinner.

Beachgoers seek a break from hot weather at South Melbourne last month.

Total fire bans have been declared for the north of the state on Monday, while V/Line trains will run to an altered, extreme heat timetable.

Victoria is feeling the heat for the start of the working week and firefighters are bracing for "extreme" fire danger before temperatures are set to nosedive, just in time for dinner.

Total fire bans have been declared for the north of the state on Monday, while V/Line trains will run to an altered, extreme heat timetable.

Read the story from The Age by Ashleigh McMillan and Paul Sakkal - “Victoria swelters, fire danger "extreme" - but the heat won't last.”

Deputy PM slams 'raving inner-city lunatics' for bushfire climate link.

There's no end in sight to the bushfire crisis engulfing central Queensland and northern New South Wales, where firefighters are bracing for catastrophic fire conditions tomorrow.

Deputy PM Michael McCormack has described those
calling for action on climate change as "raving inner-city lunatics".

Three people have been killed and 150 homes have been destroyed in NSW, while more than 45 fires are still burning in central Queensland. 

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack has met with mayors and firefighters on the Sunshine Coast as they prepare for even tougher days ahead.

Editor's note: The office for Federal Minister David Littleproud says that the Minister has received no formal request for a meeting from Greg Mullins or the Emergency Leaders for Climate Action.

The Minister has now instructed his staff to reach out and set up a meeting.

Listen to this segment from Radio National - “Deputy PM slams 'raving inner-city lunatics' for bushfire climate link.”

(And yes, we know who the “raving inner-city lunatics” are and it is not those referred to by our Deputy PM - Robert McLean)

‘Very dangerous': Cyclone Veronica to bring 4m storm surge to northern WA

Residents in Western Australia’s far north are bracing for dangerous storm surges caused by Cyclone Veronica, while Northern Territory residents are slowly returning home as ex-cyclone Trevor circles back towards Queensland.

A satellite image of cyclones Trevor and Veronica lashing nothern Australia.

Trevor crossed the mainland as a category 4 storm on Sunday morning, producing wind gusts of 230km/h around the NT’s border with Queensland, but shortly after midnight, the storm was downgraded to a tropical low.

The first repatriation flight carrying people back to Angurugu and Umbakumba took off on Sunday morning, and further plans are being made as assessors sweep through properties to see if they are safe.

Read the story from The Guardian  - “‘Very dangerous': Cyclone Veronica to bring 4m storm surge to northern WA.”

Victoria and SA brace for all-time temperature records as BOM warns 'nowhere is going to escape the heat’.

Emergency services are bracing for scorching conditions across South Australia and Victoria, with an expert warning that "nowhere is going to escape the heat" as sweltering temperatures threaten to break all-time records.

Record temperatures are expected across SA and Victoria tomorrow.

In South Australia, Ceduna reached its hottest day on record today with the mercury climbing to 48.4 degrees Celsius just before 3:00pm — half-a-degree hotter than the record set in 1990.

"South Australia is once again experiencing a severe heatwave," Jonathan Fischer, a Bureau of Meteorology emergency services meteorologist, said.

Read the ABC News story by Camron Sleesor, Stephanie Ferrier and Sean Wales - “Victoria and SA brace for all-time temperature records as BOM warns 'nowhere is going to escape the heat’.”

Scorcher predicted in Shepparton

Victoria is bracing for scorching heat, a dramatic cool change and squally winds all in one day today.

A statewide Total Fire Ban is in place for today with Shepparton expecting a scorching 45°C.

If the mercury does hit the predicted maximum in Shepparton, it will be the hottest January day ever recorded here.

Bendigo is forecast to get to 44°C and Echuca, Swan Hill, Kerang and Mildura, a searing 46°C.

Hot northerly winds coming from inland Australia ahead of a cold front were responsible for the heat, the Bureau of Meteorology’s Dean Stewart said.

‘‘It’s not that often that we get temperatures of that magnitude around 45°C, 46°C at some locations,’’ Mr Stewart said.

‘‘The good news is it will only be relatively short-lived; that cold front will be coming across Victoria during the day,’’ he said.

Shepparton expects light winds becoming north to northwesterly 20 km to 25 km/h in the morning then becoming light in the evening.

Greater Shepparton City Council yesterday asked residents to watch out for each other during the extreme heat, particularly infants, the elderly, and pregnant or breastfeeding women.

‘‘Many vulnerable people do not have friends or relatives living nearby, so if you have an elderly neighbour or live near someone you know is unwell, make sure to keep an eye on them during hot weather,’’ the council’s community director Kaye Thomson said.

Ms Thomson also reminded residents the temperature inside a car could double within minutes, and to never leave children, pets or adults in a parked car during hot weather. 

● For more information on heat-related illness visit greatershepparton.com.au For emergency information, download the VicEmergency App, or visit emergency.vic.gov.au

Story from the Shepparton news - “Scorcher predicted.”

Short, sharp shocker looms, with fireys braced for a 'nasty day

Emergency services are on alert for a dangerous Friday, with extreme heat and strong, gusty winds forecast and the Country Fire Authority bracing for "uncontrollable, unpredictable and fast-moving" fires.

Fire crews are braced for a 'killer day.'CREDIT:

A statewide total fire ban is in place, with temperatures forecast to reach scorching highs.

Melbourne is expecting a top of 42 degrees, while Geelong is forecast to hit 43. In the state’s north-west, Mildura and Swan Hill are preparing for a whopping 46 degrees.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued severe weather warnings for damaging winds of up to 100 km/h in the afternoon and a risk of thunderstorms and dry lightning which could spark fires but with little rain.

Read the story from The Age by Anna Prytz - “Short, sharp shocker looms, with fireys braced for a 'nasty day.

Queensland weather: Tropical Cyclone Linda downgraded as system tracks toward coast

Tropical Cyclone Linda has been downgraded to a subtropical low, but south-east Queensland residents are still bracing for gale-force winds, abnormally high tides and dangerous surf as the system continues to approach the coast.

Linda developed from a tropical low in the Coral Sea about 3:00pm AEST on Tuesday, despite the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) earlier saying a cyclone system was unlikely.

But by 10:00am on Wednesday, the BOM said Linda was no more.

Although the system is not expected to cross the coast, senior forecaster Rick Threlfall said it would still pack a punch.

Read the ABC News story - “Queensland weather: Tropical Cyclone Linda downgraded as system tracks toward coast.”

The heat really will be on in Shepparton

Victoria is bracing for a second bout of extreme heat this month, with temperatures across Greater Shepparton expected to be high and humid.

From Thursday onwards, a heatwave will develop across the entire state, persisting through to the following week across northern Victoria.

Temperatures are predicted to not fall below 30°C for more than a week, and are expected to peak in Shepparton on Friday with a forecast 42°C.

Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Rod Dickson said although a slight cool change would offer respite to the south of the state, daytime temperatures across the north would not fall.

With the weather, he said a significant fire danger period would no doubt be imminent.

‘‘North-westerly winds will once again freshen up on Friday and become quite gusty over the central and western parts of the state,’’ Mr Dickson said.

‘‘That’ll produce probably severe fire danger across a lot of central and western Victoria on Friday.’’

Mr Dickson said the predicted high temperatures would be the first time since 2015 when the state had received two consecutive days above 38°C.

‘‘The other thing to note, in northern Victoria we will see minimum temperatures not falling below 20°C throughout that period, and that’s where we’re going to see heatwave conditions with little relief in the overnight hours as well,’’ he said.

Story by Rhiannon Tuffield in the Shepparton News - “The heat really will be on.”

Victoria weather: Why south-east Australia is expecting a tropical deluge

South-east Australia is bracing for more than a quarter of a metre of rain in a single weekend, a tropical downpour part of the same extraordinary weather system that has brought heatwaves from Melbourne to Hobart and cool, wet weather in Queensland.

Three weeks ago a high-pressure system settled between Australia and New Zealand.

Normally high-pressure systems clear within the week, but forecasters such as the Bureau of Meteorology's Dr Blair Trewin watched in amazement as the system refused to budge.

"It is very unusual to have such a blocked situation, particularly in spring. It is something you see more often in late summer or early autumn," Dr Trewin said.

"But even then it would be unusual to have something last this long.”

Meteorologists call these slow-moving systems 'blocking highs' because they block fresh weather coming through.

Read the ABC News story by Kate Doyle and Ben Deacon - “Victoria weather: Why south-east Australia is expecting a tropical deluge.”

Hurricane Ophelia: Ireland braces for worst Atlantic storm in almost 60 years

Ireland is bracing itself for what could be the worst storm since 1961, according to Met Éireann, the country’s national meteorological service.

An aerial photograph of Hurricane Ophelia taken on 11 October.

Hurricane Ophelia, which is currently south-west of the Azores islands near Portugal, 2,500km away from Ireland, is expected to hit the country’s west coast on Monday.

By this time, it will have lost its hurricane status but will still be a powerful storm.  Areas including Cork, Kerry, Clare and Galway & Mayo are set to see wind speeds in excess of 130kmh (80mph).

The Irish meteorological service has issued its highest possible "status red" warning ahead of the arrival of Ophelia.

Read the Inkl story by Niamh McIntyre - "Hurricane Ophelia: Ireland braces for worst Atlantic storm in almost 60 years.”