by Commissioner Craig Lapsley, Emergency Management Victoria
The last few months have already seen a range of emergencies impact Victorian communities including a recycling plant fire, avalanches, shark sightings and landslips. Although it is still spring, we have already seen unseasonably warm temperatures across parts of eastern Australia and temperature records have been broken. Friday 22 September was Australia’s warmest September day on record and Mildura set a Victorian record reaching 37.7°C. Rainfall for the month was below average for northern and far eastern Victoria while unseasonably warm weather has seen dry conditions across the state, coming on the back of a warm winter.