As Victoria swelters, Melbourne is on track to notch up a record hot spell.

There have been eight consecutive days above 30 degrees, the longest hot spell since February 1961.

The mercury peaked at 37 degrees around 4pm (AEDT).

If Tuesday's temperature reaches the forecast 36 degrees, it will become the longest heatwave since records began in 1856.

The weather bureau is predicting a cold front moving through Melbourne by late Wednesday morning and temperatures to drop into the mid-20s that afternoon.

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While many Melburnians have welcomed the extended summer, others say enough is enough.

In any case, it was good timing for Labor Day holiday makers, with many people turning up to the beach and various other events, including the annual Moomba parade which attracted tens of thousands of onlookers.

But on the Mornington Peninsula, residents and businesses were forced to go without power because of a problem at the Sorrento substation.

A total fire ban, meanwhile, has been declared for Tuesday for the South-West and Wimmera districts.

A severe fire danger is also forecast for those areas.