Lives and homes remained under threat as fires near Victorian towns worsened, with weather conditions expected to fan the flames.

Emergency alerts were issued for several major fires burning across the state.

About 70 properties in Adams Estate on Victoria’s South Gippsland were at risk of burning as the Grantville fire, which was headed north, edged closer on Sunday. “Leaving now would be deadly,” authorities warned on Sunday.

Bushfires were also threatening homes south of Gillingill, near the Victorian town of Timbarra, in East Gippsland.

Warnings were also issued for other areas including Butchers Ridge, Deddick Valley, Gelantipy, W Tree, Yalmy, Murrindal and Wulgulmerang West.

Firefighters have been unable to stop the fire, which has crossed containment lines, and authorities warned residents to leave while they still could.

A fire in Walhalla prompted the top tier alert for areas of Cowwarr, Cowwarr Weir, Dawson, Swing Bridge and Toongabbie on Sunday night.

But there was some good news with a warning downgraded for Dry Diggings, Elevated Plains, Hepburn and Hepburn Springs after about 70 homes were under threat. Several other fire warnings remained in place across the state.

The emergency services commissioner, Andrew Crisp, said protecting lives was the priority. “We knew (Sunday) was going to be a tough day for us as a state for our firefighters and our emergency services and that is the way it is panning out,” he said.

Damaging winds, heavy rainfall and large hailstones were still expected to hit across some parts of the east of the state.

“The change has moved through the southern fringes of the state. Most of these fires are in the high country so it will take a while to get through to those areas,” the Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Richard Carlyon said in the evening. “This wind change is fairly shallow so it will struggle to get into those areas.”

Winds hit about 80km/h in Albury/Wodonga while 38mm of rain had fallen near Bairnsdale, with thunder activity moving across eastern parts of the state.

Victoria sweltered through hot, dry conditions and temperatures tipping into the 40s. Severe fire danger forecasts existed in the Mallee, Wimmera, South West and Central districts, and a total fire ban remained in place across the state.

“It’s now up to Victorians to exercise good judgment and common sense so that they’re ready as well,” the premier, Daniel Andrews, said.

Meanwhile in Tasmania several towns were again under serious threat from raging bushfires whipped up by winds, with authorities warning property loss was “highly likely”.

Volatile fire conditions caused blazes to flare across the state on Sunday, with a handful of emergency warnings still active for towns at very high risk.

An uncontrollable and fast-moving fire south-west of Hobart posed a major threat to Waterloo, Surges Bay, Brooks Bay, Glendevie and Police Point.

Burning embers falling on the areas would threaten homes before the main blaze and property loss was “highly likely” at Waterloo, the Tasmania Fire Service said.

The fire alert for Geeveston, Port Huon and Cairns Bay was downgraded but residents were urged to leave while they still could.

More than 21 fires, some of which started before Christmas, were burning out of control across Tasmania. Some 191,000 hectares had been destroyed.

The Geeveston IGA owner, Matthew Nicholas, had evacuated his home twice over the past fortnight but said he was staying put for the time being.

“We’re not under threat per se, because they did a lot of backburning which I’m grateful for,” he said. “We stick together but I think we’re all getting a bit weary. It’s on and off, I just hope it’s not going to be like this for the next month.”

A difficult-to-control fire was also threatening Liawenee, Brown Marsh, Moon Marsh, London Lakes and Reynolds Neck in the central plateau.

Eleven watch and act alerts were also in place for blazes across Tasmania. The blazes could burn for weeks, prompting the federal government to open the disaster recovery allowance for bushfire-affected small business owners and employees.

The premier, Will Hodgman, on Sunday visited the Huonville evacuation centre, where hundreds were sheltering.

He slapped down calls for an immediate review of the state’s fire response, confirming examinations would happen when the crisis was over.

“The last thing anyone needs now is armchair critics or experts who think they know what they’re talking about,” he said. “We have some of the best firefighting capabilities in the world here in Tasmania and they are currently under enormous stress – we don’t want anyone to add to that.”

A cool change was expected to sweep the state on Sunday night and bring a few millimetres of rain.

Forecasters said there was also a “reasonable chance” of statewide rain on Thursday, about 10-20mm.

“That is the most optimistic rain event that we’ve seen in the last couple of weeks,” the Bureau of Meteorology’s Simon McCulloch told reporters.

The fires have claimed three homes and a near-century-old trapper’s hut, and damaged the popular Tahune Airwalk tourist attraction. Aerial footage has shown vast tracts of blackened wilderness in the southwest.