If you live in Victoria, chances are you're aware that there's a major heatwave happening right now. The temperature began to soar on Friday, January 31, and reached a scorching top of 38.6 degrees in the CBD on Sunday, February 2.
Melbourne heatwave
With the sweltering weather continuing into Monday and Tuesday, and the nighttime temperatures still uncomfortably warm, Melbourne has met the requirement for a 'severe heatwave' classification. This is characterised by at least three days of unusually high maximum and minimum temperatures. It's expected to peak with a top of 40 degrees on Monday, February 3. The cool change is expected on Tuesday afternoon or evening, with temperatures for the rest of the week ranging between 25 to 30 degrees.
Melbourne storms
If the extreme heat wasn't enough to deal with, a rain deluge dumped on Melbourne on the evening of Sunday, February 2, with dramatic thunder and lightning. Areas across the metropolitan region received between 10 to 20 millimetres of rain. In combination with damaging winds and flash flooding, thousands of Victorian homes were without power late on Sunday night, including many in Melbourne's outer south-eastern suburbs. Thankfully, by Monday morning the wild weather conditions had eased and there aren't any further storms forecasted.
Melbourne continues to live up to its reputation of truly unpredictable weather. While the temperature continues to climb, stay cool indoors – if you don't have aircon at home, here are the best places in Melbourne for escaping the heat. Or if you'd prefer to cool off with a swim, head to one of Melbourne's best beaches or outdoor pools.
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