It will be a scorching farewell to summer in Melbourne today, before a cool change heralds the arrival of a new season.

The CBD reached a top of 32C by 2pm, about seven degrees above average for February.

It was a stunning morning in Armadale. (Lexie Jeuniewic)It was a stunning morning in Armadale, with wispy clouds highlighted with pink sky. (Lexie Jeuniewic)

In the suburbs temperatures reached similar levels, with a top of 31C for Tullamarine, 32C for Viewbank and 30C for Melton.

Strong wind gusts felt throughout the city this morning will continue into the afternoon, after of a cool change set to send temperatures plummeting.

"The change will begin to be felt from about 5pm," Weatherzone meteorologist Tom Hough told 9news.com.au.

Tomorrow will be a mild start to March, with a maximum of 21C and light showers.

The rainfall will hopefully kick off a much wetter month for the state, after the driest February in 27 years.

What a difference three hours makes: temperatures will plummet this afternoon with the arrival of a cool change. (BoM)

The city only managed to register 1.6mm of rain in the gauge during February as of 9am yesterday, and there is no further rain expected to fall today.

That total is just a touch below the record of 0.5mm in 1965.

Elsewhere, Sydney can expect a mostly cloudy top of 26C, while Brisbane will have a mostly sunny top of 33C.

It's been a last week of February. (Weatherzone)

Adelaide and Hobart are set for tops of 27C and 20C respectively, while Perth will welcome autumn with 32C.