00:00The Country Fire Authority today is on high alert as hot, dry and dusty conditions move
00:07across Victoria.
00:08Now, there's been a total fire ban for about half of the state, the central and western
00:13parts.
00:14So, those in the Wimmera, Mallee, southwest, north central and central regions do need
00:19to be on alert today.
00:21And looking at top temperatures, starting in the southwest, Warrnambool looks like it's
00:25heading for a top of 37 degrees today.
00:28Moving east across the state in Gippsland, it's looking for like a top of 38.
00:33And where I am now in Ballarat is reaching a top of 39 degrees today.
00:38Moving towards Melbourne and Geelong, it's seeing top temperatures are the highest across
00:42the country in the capital cities at 41 degrees.
00:46And the highest in Victoria today is in the north in Mildura, reaching a top of 44 degrees
00:51today.
00:52Authorities are very concerned about bushfires and asking people to be mindful.
00:57Already in the past 24 hours, they've seen one dozen or so smaller scrub or grass fires
01:04needing to be contained across Victoria.
01:06Particularly there was one of concern in the Grampians, which recently over the Christmas
01:11period we saw some pretty devastating fires.
01:13So they said that was in containment lines.
01:15But reminding people, those particularly in the fire-prone areas today, to keep an eye
01:20and ear out on the ABC website, listen in and watch the Vic Emergency app.
01:26And I also learned that you can go onto the CFA website and go into the search bar and
01:30look for Can I or Can't I and the area that you live in and it can tell you what you can
01:35do in those fire-prone days.
01:37Earlier today in Ballarat, I had a chat with some young children that were heading off
01:41to the pools, the indoor pools, to escape the heat here in Ballarat.
01:46Have a listen to what they had to say.
01:47It's very hot today.
01:48It's like 37 degrees.
01:50We're going swimming at the aquatic centre because it's a bit hot.
01:56But there is some reprieve coming, particularly those in the south-west that's starting off
01:59the cool change coming through at about lunchtime for them.
02:02And then moving towards the central part of the state at about dinner time, people will
02:07start to see temperatures drop.
02:09But unfortunately for those in Gippsland and the far east of the state, it won't be until
02:13bedtime or overnight that they'll start to get some reprieve from the heat.
02:16So it will be some uncomfortable sleep for many.
02:20And with that is the winds.
02:21So today we're seeing winds of about 40 to 50 kilometres an hour across Victoria.
02:26But that's going to pick up.
02:27We're already starting to see some thunderstorms happen in the south-west and in Gippsland.
02:32And as they move across Victoria, winds are going to pick up to about 80 or 90 kilometres
02:37an hour.
02:38So particularly those in Gippsland and those in the east part of the state need to be mindful,
02:42particularly later today and this evening.
02:46For more UN videos visit www.un.org
Comments