Surf Coast schools and kinders are closed after the declaration of an extreme fire danger rating for the region.
Parents of students at Aireys Inlet and Anglesea Primary School were notified last night that a relocation option is available to Torquay College P-6, but the schools will be shut.
The Surf Coast Shire is closing most of its facilities, including its Lorne, Anglesea and Jan Juc kinder services, based on Department of Education advice.
Kinders at Torquay and Winchelsea will remain open, but the Shire’s Anglesea tip will close by 10am, it’s visitor information centres will not open and there’ll be no mobile library service today.
The Shire says the Torquay library will be open for those wanting to escape the heat, which is expected to reach 36 in the town as northerly winds of up to 50 km/h blast the region.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) is predicting conditions will ease throughout the region and state this afternoon, with a south to southwesterly wind change due, but a total fire ban is in place for the Central districts including greater Geelong, Bellarine and Surf Coast.
The BoM is warning that the cool change will likely be accompanied by a potentially severe thunderstorm that brings with it the risk of lightning, and resulting ignitions of fire in the landscape.
Much of the state is on edge for today’s hot weather, with extreme ratings applying for the northern country and Mallee, and a catastrophic rating in the Wimmera prompting the cancellation of rail, including freight, through the region.
Residents looking to stay up to date with the latest information are being urged to monitor the Emergency Victoria or visit the CFA site here.
