Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology Victoria TOP PRIORITY FOR IMMEDIATE BROADCAST Heatwave Warning Issued at 02:39 PM EDT on Wednesday 07 January 2026 Valid for Wednesday 07 January 2026 to Saturday 10 January 2026 Warning for the following areas: Northern Country, North East, East Gippsland and West and South Gippsland Warning for the following areas: Mallee, Wimmera, Central, North Central and South West Safety Advice: Extreme heatwaves can be dangerous for everyone. Severe heatwaves can be dangerous for many people, especially older people, babies, children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, people with medical conditions and people who are unwell. Seek a place to keep cool, such as your home, a library, community centre or shopping centre. Close your windows and draw blinds, curtains or awnings early in the day to keep the heat out of your home. If available, use fans or air-conditioners to keep cool. In the North: Maximum temperatures in the low to mid forties, decreasing to mid twenties to low thirties over the weekend. Overnight minimum temperatures in the high teens to mid twenties, then decreasing over the weekend. In the South and over Gippsland: Maximum temperatures in the low thirties to low forties peaking on Friday. Overnight minimum temperatures in the mid teens to low twenties. Western and Central Coastal areas: Maximum temperatures in the low twenties to mid thirties peaking on Friday. Overnight minimum temperatures in the mid to high teens. Heatwave conditions forecast to ease from the southwest over the weekend. Locations likely to be impacted include Melbourne Metropolitan Area, Albury-Wodonga, Ballarat, Bendigo, Horsham, Mildura, Melton, Maryborough, Seymour and Shepparton. The next heatwave warning will be issued by 3:00pm EDT on Thursday 08 January 2026