Emergency warnings have been issued due to fires near Grampians National Park, Victoria, with affected communities advised to seek shelter. Two alerts were issued on Tuesday afternoon for separate fires that remain uncontrolled.
The first warning, at 3:15 PM, indicated a bushfire near Bellfield was advancing east toward Pomonal, urging residents of Bellfield, Lake Fyans, and Pomonal to stay indoors.
The second alert, at 3:47 PM, addressed a fire near Mt Stapylton moving towards Dadswells Bridge, Ledcourt, and Roses Gap, advising these residents to take immediate shelter.
Bushfires near Grampians prompt shelter orders as temperatures soar and storms hit Melbourne.In Melbourne, thunderstorms brought large hailstones to the north-west and south-east, while temperatures soared to 35°C by early afternoon. A catastrophic fire rating was issued for the Wimmera, marking the highest bushfire risk since the 2019-20 season.
Extreme fire danger was forecast for the Mallee, Northern Country, and Central districts, which include Melbourne, prompting a total fire ban in many regions.
A “watch and act” alert covered parts of Melbourne, including Croydon and Pakenham, warning of damaging winds and hail, with a gust of 115 km/h recorded at Fawkner Beacon. Other warnings included a watch and act for a grass fire near Newtown and Staffordshire Reef.
Forecaster Belinda House predicted temperatures in Melbourne might hit 37°C before a cool change is expected around 5 PM. Avalon and Geelong reached 39°C, while Walpeup hit 40.4°C. The cool change is anticipated to bring relief with showers and thunderstorms.
Approximately 38 schools and 17 early childhood centers closed, and firefighters are bracing for severe conditions. Power providers are on standby for potential outages. In Tasmania and South Australia, fire dangers are also elevated, with fire bans and heatwave warnings in effect.