45C: it’s a record

Jessica Benton and Andrew Mathieson
Geelong baked in its hottest day on record yesterday.
The city topped the previous record of 44.8C in January, 2003, as an ongoing heatwave scorched the region.
Yesterday’s temperature had reached 45.3C at 2.19pm before the Independent went to press about 3pm.
Ambulance officers reported a surge in calls from people succumbing to the heat, while Vicroads teams rushed to repair melting roads around the region.
Geelong Weather Services director Lindsay Smail said Geelong was the hottest place in south-central Victoria yesterday.
“Because of winds blowing down from the north-west the region has become hotter than Melbourne,” he said.
“The winds have got very dry land to blow over and the further they come the hotter it gets.
“So far Geelong and Avalon are the hottest places in the region. It’s hotter than any Melbourne suburb, Melbourne Airport or around Port Philip Bay. Geelong is about three or four degrees hotter than any other place in the region.
“Normally the hottest temperatures are in the northern suburbs and around Lara and Avalon, which hit 45C yesterday.”
Tuesday reached 29C in Geelong, while Wednesday had a maximum of 43.6C at 2pm.
Forecasts for today were 40C, with the so-called “cool change” bringing a forecast maximum of 33C tomorrow and 27C on Sunday.
The region’s consecutive record was set in January 1908 when four days in a row were above 40C, with a maximum of 44.2C.
Thousands of people flocked to the region’s indoor pools, shopping centres and cinemas to escape this week’s heat.
Reading Cinemas, Westfield Geelong and Ocean Grove’s new aquatic centre all reported a rush of business.
Vicroads south-west region manager Duncan Elliott said staff were pouring aggregate on melting roads around Geelong to prevent further damage from vehicles.
“On hot days and during hot evenings we find the bitumen can reactivate, becoming soft and sticky,” he said.
Barwon Health communications director Kate Neilson said “a few” patients arrived at Geelong Hospital yesterday with heat-related illnesses.
“We suspect it will probably peak in the next day or two.”
Rural Ambulance Victoria chief spokesperson John Mullen said call-outs had increased during Geelong’s heatwave.
“We’ve been kept reasonably busy. There certainly has been an increase in the need for the service,” Mr Mullen said.