Victorians can expect a drier and warmer spring with a high chance of an early start to the fire season in the central, western and northern parts of the state.
The Australian Seasonal Bushfire Outlook for Spring was released today. It states that Victoria’s drier than average conditions are expected to continue. This is following below average rainfall across much of the state during winter.
Despite below average rainfalls for winter, grass growth is expected to be higher than usual following 3 years of wet La Niña conditions.
A strong drying trend in far east and central Gippsland has resulted in higher-than-normal potential for fires including communities close to bushland, especially where vegetation was unburnt during the 2019-20 fires.
It is also likely that bushfire season will start earlier, compared to the past 2 years, across much of central, western and northern Victoria. Remaining parts of the state are expected to see normal fire potential. However, hot, windy conditions can still pose a fire risk.
Emergency services remain well prepared for emerging risks associated with the possibility of an earlier start to bushfire season and will continue to monitor conditions.
The Australian Seasonal Bushfire Outlook for Spring is developed by the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council (AFAC) (External link). They are supported by the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) (External link) along with state and territory fire and land managers.
It’s important for communities to understand their local risks. You can keep up to date with the Fire Danger Ratings on the VicEmergency app and VicEmergency website (External link).
The department acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of the land and acknowledges and pays respect to their Elders, past and present.