Heavy rain in Melbourne has done little to quell major bushfires burning across 41,000 hectares in the Grampians in Victoria's west.
Millions of residents and travellers across the country are being warned to stay alert as the risk of Christmas week infernos intensifies.
Several states entered Monday battling dangerous blazes or warning of potential outbreaks, including NSW where hot, dry and windy conditions pose an extreme fire danger in the Greater Hunter, Greater Sydney, Northern Slopes and North Western regions.
The Grampians fire grew to over 41,000ha overnight and continued to push north. People in areas surrounding this fire are being asked to monitor conditions and be ready to act. If you have left the Halls Gap area, it is not safe to return. Stay informed: — VicEmergency (@vicemergency) https://t.co/XZY9uEdlWv pic.twitter.com/JPmtgQKbhWDecember 22, 2024
Temperatures in the Victorian capital will peak at a cool 18C on Monday, with further showers expected.
"We did see some rain move across parts of the state overnight that hasn't had a significant effect on most of our fires," State Control Centre spokesman Luke Hegarty said.
"Realistically, for a fire like the size of the Grampians fire, we'd be needing significant amounts of rainfall, and that's not what we saw."
Victorian firefighters are preparing for catastrophic and extreme conditions on Boxing Day. (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS)
A watch and act alert remains in place for fires in the Grampians National Park and some residents have been told to prepare to leave if the situation worsens.
Catastrophic conditions are forecast for the area on Boxing Day, with temperatures predicted to reach about 40C and fears private property could be impacted.
More than 100 personnel will be sent from NSW, the ACT, Queensland and Tasmania to help with the fires, including two incident management teams and four specialised firefighting taskforces.
"A bit of support will be much appreciated by our crews, particularly given the time of the year," Mr Hegarty said.
Another blaze in Bullengarook, northwest of Melbourne, continues to burn out of control but is at an advice level warning.
With Boxing Day usually a big travel day across the state, authorities are urging residents to download the VicEmergency app before they leave.
Tourism providers in Victoria's Grampians are reportedly losing $1.9 million a day in bookings. (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS)
Halls Gap Hotel, in the Grampians' biggest tourist town, has shut its doors and tourism providers in the area say they face losing $1.9 million a day in bookings because of the emergency as residents fled to Ararat.
Elsewhere, regional areas in South Australia are also expecting hot conditions on Boxing Day, with Adelaide facing a peak of 36C after a predicted 37C on Christmas Day.
In WA, firefighters were mopping up a blaze on Sunday that had threatened life and property on Perth's northern outskirts.
The fast-moving fire at Two Rocks forced evacuation warnings on Sunday afternoon but was later brought under control.
High fire danger is again forecast for the region on Monday while extreme risk is predicted in inland parts of WA's midwest and southwest.
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