Colac CFA captain Daniel Williams has urged the community to look after themselves today, as parts of the state are set to reach their hottest recorded temperature in years.
Today is a Total Fire Ban day for south-west Victoria, meaning that no fires can be lit, or be allowed to remain alight in the open air until 11.59pm.
The fire danger rating in the Colac Otway region has been labelled as extreme, a rating that urges people to take action to protect their lives and property.
In VicEmergency’s livestream yesterday afternoon, CFA chief officer Jason Heffernan reported that parts of the Colac Otway Shire’s north-east, including between Cressy and Winchelsea, could edge into catastrophic fire conditions.
The Bureau of Meteorology forecast states that Colac will reach a maximum temperature of 39 degrees today, with north-west to south-westerly winds reaching up to 35 kilometres an hour in the late afternoon.
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Where To BuyCressy has a predicted maximum temperature of 42 degrees, while Winchelsea is set to peak at 41 degrees.
Along the coast, Apollo Bay is forecast to reach 35 degrees.
Daniel advised Colac Otway residents to have their fire plan ready.
“Be prepared to leave early,” he said.
“If you’re in an area that is potentially a high fire danger area then get out, that is your safest option.”
The Bureau of Meteorology states that severe heatwaves can be dangerous for many people, especially older people, babies, children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, people with medical conditions, and people who are unwell.
The Bureau advised people to keep cool at locations such as home, a library, community centre or shopping centre.
Closing windows and drawing blinds, curtains or awnings early in the day helps to keep heat out of homes, while using fans or air conditioners to keep cool if available.
Planning ahead is also recommended, including cancelling or rescheduling activities for a cooler time of the day, and checking the weather forecast regularly.
Meanwhile, electricity distributor Powercor has warned that today’s high temperatures, strong winds and potential storms forecast to hit the state could damage power networks, leading to localised power outages.
“We are closely monitoring weather conditions and have extra field crews, controllers and customer centre specialists ready to respond if power does go out,” a spokesperson said.
“Victorians can act too by preparing for power outages as part of their emergency plan.
“If you rely on life support equipment or need electrical items to care for babies, the disabled, elderly or pets, make sure you have a back-up plan ready.
“While our networks are designed to cope with hot temperatures during summer, extreme conditions like those forecast increase the risk of power outages, so preparation is essential.”