Residents in fire-prone areas advised to activate bushfire plans ahead of extreme temperatures this weekend

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Victorians are being told to get ready for extreme temperatures this weekend.

A total fire ban was issued across the entire state for Saturday, with Melbourne tipped to experience its hottest day in almost two years.

There was an all-day ban on lighting open-air fires and the Country Fire Authority was advising residents living in fire-prone areas to activate their bushfire plans.

Melbourne was expected to swelter through 41C in the city on Saturday, with northerly winds reaching up to 40km/h.

That would be the hottest day the city had experienced since 13 January 2016, when temperatures soared to 42.2C.

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Extreme temperatures were also expected elsewhere in the state on Saturday, with Geelong and Bendigo expecting a high of 42C and Avalon, Echuca and Warracknabeal expecting 43C.

Life Saving Victoria warned beachgoers of potential dangers after four drownings along the state’s coastline since Christmas Day.

Lifesaving operations manager Greg Scott said vulnerable swimmers needed to choose a sheltered spot and warned rips were the number one beach hazard.

Campers and bushwalkers were urged to take care in national parks, reserves and state forests on Saturday, with bushfires and heat stress being key risks.

The Forest Fire Management Victoria chief fire officer, Stephanie Rotarangi, urged people to check conditions before entering parks and forests, to stop and rest in the shade, drink water and head back immediately if someone became unwell.

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More than 1,600 children had to be rescued from vehicles in the state in the space of a year, according to the latest data from Ambulance Victoria. The vast majority were babies and toddlers.

Meanwhile, in Queensland, almost 1,200 children and more than 700 animals were rescued from cars, said the state’s peak motoring body RACQ.

Brisbane recorded more than a third of the total number, with 406 children rescued from locked cars last year.

In most cases, parents had given keys to children to play with while they packed or unpacked the car, and the child had accidentally pressed the lock button.