Victorian bushfire smoke visible from space

Satellite imagery clearly shows smoke from Victoria’s bushfires, as at least 12 major blazes still rage in our southernmost mainland state.

As the images clearly show, the smoke is being blown southwards into Bass Strait. This might seem counterintuitive to some people in southern Victoria, who experienced relatively cool surface-level southerly winds for most of Monday.

However, winds at slightly higher levels of the atmosphere (above about 1800m) are blowing across Victoria from a predominantly northerly aspect, pushing the smoke south as it ascends.

Satellite image of Victoria on the afternoon of Monday, January 12, 2026
Image: 850hpa temperature and winds for Victoria on the afternoon of Monday, January 12, 2026. 850hpa corresponds to approximately 1500m above sea level. The “feathers” on the wind barbs (small lines sticking out from the longer lines) are positioned at the end of the barb from which the wind is blowing.

What is the current state of the fires?

As much as 400,000 hectares has now burned in the state’s biggest fire emergency since the Black Summer, with one person tragically killed and more than 350 homes or buildings destroyed.

The fatality occurred in the Longwood Fire, where a Watch and Act warning level remains in place. This is the middle level of the Victorian CFA’s three warning levels.

The Longwood fire has covered the largest area of any bushfire in the current emergency, and a large patch of scorched countryside appears to be visible on satellite imagery, approximately halfway between Mansfield and Seymour, just south of the actual town of Longwood.

Image: Satellite view of the Victorian bushfires at 4pm (AEDT) on Monday, December 12, 2026.

The fires have also spawned pyrocumulus clouds like this one pictured below. Pyrocumulus clouds are large storm clouds caused by rising hot air from bushfire flames and smoke.

Image: Bushfire smoke and pyrocumulus cloud captured from Holbrook, NSW, just north of the Victorian border, on January 11, 2026. Source: Satch & Co Gallery (@satchandco gallery on Instagram).

Is any rain coming to provide relief in Victoria?

As mentioned in our story about the wet week in store for eastern Australia, significant rain will make its way to Victoria’s East Gippsland region, where some fires are not yet fully under control.

Parts of southern Victoria including Melbourne should also see some showers on Thursday.

Away from eastern Victoria and the southern coastline, the likelihood of meaningful rain this week dissipates. A few isolated storms could occur on Thursday in the state’s north, however no widespread statewide soaking lies on the immediate horizon.