Australia’s southern states are enduring extremely hot temperatures, with multiple events cancelled and the weather bureau warning the heatwave isn’t over yet.
In Victoria, organisers of Melbourne’s Moomba festival cancelled the event’s annual parade for Monday, while festival organisers in the west delayed the start of a major music festival.
The weather bureau has warned the extreme heat will continue across both states for the entire long weekend.
Conditions aren’t forecast to improve much today, with both capitals set to hit 39 by this afternoon, and 38 degrees forecast for Monday.
Melbourne will see some relief on Tuesday with temperatures set to drop to 25 degrees, while Adelaide will hit a very warm 34.
The organisers of Melbourne’s iconic Moomba festival were forced to cancel tomorrow’s annual parade.
The City of Melbourne yesterday announced the annual Moomba Parade, scheduled for Monday, would not go ahead.
The CBD parade was set to mark its 70th year.
“Due to the severe heatwave alert, we’ve made the difficult decision to cancel Monday’s Moomba Parade,” the council said in a statement.
“Given this is Moomba’s 70th year, this choice has been particularly hard – but we must prioritise people’s health and safety. “
The CFA on Friday urged festivalgoers to stay home due to the extreme weather forecast.
Organisers chose to delay the start time of the festival until 6pm Saturday following consultations with authorities, but have not cancelled the event.
“At the time of writing there are no active fires in the region and we wish to reassure you that those who are on site have access to ample shade, cooling misting fans, food and water,” a statement from organisers read.
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“For those yet to arrive at the festival, we advise you to follow the CFA directions of delaying your travel.
“Please come prepared for the heat, take care of yourself and look out for your friends.”
More than 18,000 were expected to attend Pitch on Saturday, which is one of the state’s biggest music festivals.
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