Communities razed in recent bushfires again face total fire bans as a heatwave brings hot and windy conditions across southern Australia.
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Total fire bans have been declared for two thirds of Victoria on Thursday, with the mercury tipped to crack 43C in Mildura, 40C in Geelong and 38C in Melbourne, before a cool change reaches the southwest coast about 1pm.
"It ticks all the boxes for a bad fire weather day," the Bureau of Meteorology's Kevin Parkin said.
"Dry lightning, we know it can start fires fanned by the strong north-northwesterly winds."
But he noted the dangerous conditions would not be as extreme as the heat and storms a week ago.
"It's important to say right off the bat, we're not expecting conditions to be as severe on all accounts," he told reporters at the State Control Centre.
The bureau is forecasting wind gusts of between 60km/h and 80km/h, compared to speeds of up to 130km/h on February 13.
Country Fire Authority deputy chief fire officer Rowan Luke called on people in western Victoria to be vigilant and stay connected to emergency messaging.
Extreme bushfire warnings have been also been signalled in SA and Tasmania, while in WA authorities have been fighting blazes since early summer.
Tasmanian deputy chief officer Matt Lowe said a total fire ban would be in effect for the state's south from 2am on Thursday until 2am on Saturday.
Australian Associated Press
