Festivalgoers at a music festival in Victoria’s Grampians have been told to leave amid the extreme heat and fire danger, while those who haven’t yet arrived are being urged to delay travel “until further notice”.
Residents across four states have been experiencing stifling conditions, with soaring temperatures forecast over the long weekend in many parts of the country.
In an Instagram post, Pitch music and arts festival said the Country Fire Service had advised the safest option for those already on site is to leave on Saturday, or early on Sunday morning, due to the bushfire risk. The festival – which is due to run from 8-12 March – is at Moyston where temperatures are forecast to reach 38C on Saturday and 39C on Sunday.
“If you are arriving on Saturday we recommend delaying your arrival until further notice,” the post read.
“The forecast tells us to expect hot weather each day of the festival. In addition, overnights will also be warm.”
The festival had organised free shuttle buses running from Pitch to Ararat station on Saturday, for those wishing to leave. Organisers said they were working closely with authorities and that there were no active fires in the region.
Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and New South Wales were set to experience stifling conditions from Saturday through to Monday.
A total fire ban was in place across five districts in Victoria on Saturday. The ban applies to the Wimmera, west and south Gippsland, central, north central and southwest regions.
Across the state, Melbourne is tipped to reach a top of 39C on Saturday, while conditions are set to hit 41C at Warrnambool, Torquay and Avalon.
The state’s central district is slated to reach 41C and 40C is forecast for popular holiday towns along the Murray River.
The south-west is expected to record its sixth-highest maximum temperatures on record in some areas.
“We have only seen three consecutive days of above 38C in Melbourne three times during March in the past 100 years,” Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Lincoln Trainor said.
Overnight minimum temperatures were also expected to break records, with a minimum of 25.6C forecast for Melbourne Olympic Park its highest in 11 years of operation.
Dangerous fire conditions are forecast to ease across Victoria from Sunday.
Meanwhile the mercury is set to reach the low 40Cs in South Australia as severe heatwave conditions extend farther west of the Eyre Peninsula over the long weekend.
The Bureau of Meteorology warned of a prolonged run of heat from Ceduna to Port Lincoln, Adelaide, the Barossa Valley, Narracoorte and Mount Gambier.
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The state government activated a code red response late on Friday, with additional services available to people sleeping rough.
Adelaide is in the midst of its busy festival period and many have triggered heat plans, including the Fringe festival, the South Australian athletics championship and the Adelaide Cup horse race.
Extreme and severe heatwave conditions have also hit Tasmania, with warnings or much of the state’s north and northeast.
Areas affected include Burnie, Devonport, Launceston, Richmond, Swansea and Whitemark.
Hobart is expected to reach at least 35C on Saturday, and may break its minimum March temperature record of 21.1C on Sunday, Trainor said.
There will be relief for King Island on Sunday but that’s not expected to flow through to the rest of the state until Tuesday.
“The heat will begin to break for Victoria and Tasmania during Tuesday when winds turn southerly and the lingering trough over the south-west of Victoria moves east into the Tasman Sea,” Trainor said.
“Temperatures will still remain quite hot in northern districts of Victoria until Wednesday and Thursday, when temperatures slowly drop back to the March average.”
Southern NSW is also experiencing a severe heatwave with temperatures set to reach the high 30Cs in several areas including the Riverina, Lower Western, Upper Western and South West Slopes.
Conditions are expected to ease from the middle of next week.