Relief from the heat is not expected to arrive until Tuesday as outdoor events across Victoria are cancelled and the state remains on high alert for bushfires.
The Moomba parade has been cancelled due to forecast severe heat,as drama engulfs a camping arts festival in regional Victoria that is proceeding despite an extreme fire warning.
A warning has been issued for those in Perth’s southern suburbs as emergency services battle a blaze burning on the edge of Kwinana Freeway and approaching homes in North Lake.
Victoria is set to sizzle through a heatwave this long weekend,with temperatures expected to reach into the 40s in some parts of the state.
Across Australia and New Zealand,an average 614 people lost their lives every year between 2000-2019 after being exposed to fine-particle air pollution.
Firefighters have saved lives and towns across Victoria,but the race is now on to rescue wildlife hit hard in burnt forests,including vulnerable koalas.
There is no end in sight for an already “long and challenging in fire season” which a new outlook shows will double in length as hot dry weather continues.
As the smoke clears,the extent of what fire authorities and volunteers managed to achieve in the past week has become clear.
Drivers in the area are asked to be extremely careful,turn headlights on and watch out for emergency services personnel. Aerial support has been sent to assist firefighters.
Firefighters continue to battle two bushfires,while communities in Victoria’s west narrowly avoided a much worse outcome after temperatures on Wednesday peaked later in the day.
Firefighters worked overnight to prepare defences near Ballarat ahead of hot and windy weather today. Thousands have been told to leave their homes before midday. Follow for live updates.