Victoria is facing an extended heatwave, with forecasters expecting intense conditions in Melbourne not seen for more than a decade. Temperatures are set to soar into the high thirties and low forties across the state, increasing fire and health risks.
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00:00Staff and volunteers at this Carlton neighbourhood house are busy preparing a pop-up cool centre.
00:11It's one of six centres of its kind opening across Melbourne from tomorrow, where vulnerable
00:16residents can seek relief.
00:18We worry for people that are, for example, in the Carlton public housing towers where
00:22we've got thousands of residents who don't have access to air conditioning.
00:27And for them, they describe that it's unbearable.
00:30The state is gearing up for yet another string of hot days, with Melbourne about to experience
00:36three days of 37 degrees and over.
00:39That hasn't happened since January 2014.
00:42The continental interior of Australia is like a frying pan at the moment, and Victoria will
00:47be tapping into the fringes of that hot air mass over the coming days.
00:52Firefighters in the west of the state have been using recent cooler conditions to get
00:56ahead of a still-burning blaze in the Grampians National Park.
01:01We're very wary of the conditions over the next couple of days, the hot temperatures,
01:05the vegetation is still very dry, it creates significant risks for us.
01:11Conditions will be hot for firefighters, so we're trying to do as much as we can today.
01:15The CFA warning that changing conditions could bring new challenges.
01:19If we do see a fire reach a certain size and or potential, it will generate its own wind
01:25and lightning ahead of that fire front, bringing around new risks.
01:30Heatwaves have killed more people in Australia than any other natural disaster, and with
01:35relief from this heatwave not expected until early next week, there are warnings not to
01:40be complacent about the dangers.
01:43We're all at risk of illnesses such as heatstroke, and we all need to be prepared.