By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
GEELONG faces a mini-repeat of last week’s heatwave, with consecutive 38C and 39C degree days predicted for Monday and Tuesday.
The fresh wave of heat comes as fire crews around the region this week finished cleaning up after a spate of grass and building fires.
The hot days are part of a predicted extended fire season this year, exacerbated by limited rain.
Geelong Weather Services’ Lindsay Smail said Monday and Tuesday would be scorchers but slightly cooler than last week’s extreme conditions when temperatures peaked in the mid-40s.
“But sometimes a 38 or 39 is likely to turn into a 40,” Mr Smail said.
“It’s going to be hot but this is not unprecedented in Geelong – it might even be two or three days of heat.”
Mr Smail said the 2014 heatwave still fell short of blistering 1908 conditions when the region suffered two heatwaves amid 15 days over 30C and five over 40C.
The Bureau of Meteorology said this week that last week’s heatwave was one of the most intense to hit the country in the past 100 years.
“One of the most significant multi-day heatwaves on record affected southeast Australia over the period from 13 to 18 January 2014,” the bureau said.
“Temperatures remained high (and) 46°C was exceeded in Victoria on both the 15th and the 17th, 46.3°C at Avalon.
“It ranked alongside the heatwaves of January-February 2009, January 1939 and January 1908 as the most significant multi-day heatwaves on record.”
CFA Geelong operations manager Gerry Verdoorn said the region could be in for a “torrid time”.
“Associated with the high temperatures is the potential for strong winds and that will create a high fire risk,” Mr Verdoorn said.
Geelong was still providing support to the Grampians but had sufficient CFA personell left to cover the region, he said.
“While it’s cool people should draw breath and review their fire plans and the fire risk and make sure they have everything in place. Everything’s so dry that we need to be careful for another month or two.”
