HOT DAYS: Elizabeth Caldow, Katie Hannan, Ashlee Tucker and Jessica Weymouth splashed into the Horsham War Memorial pool when the city hit 43 degrees Celcius heat in January. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER
THE first week of January was a scorcher in the Wimmera, while summer temperatures were above average in the region.
Bureau of Meteorology data shows that Hopetoun recorded three consecutive days of 40 degrees Celsius or above from January 3 to 5.
The town's highest January temperature, 45.4 degrees Celsius, broke the previous January record of 45.1 degrees.
Bureau duty forecaster Richard Russell said most of Victoria had above-average temperatures in summer.
"If you were to take all the average temperatures on record, the temperatures ranked in the top 10 per cent for the summer," he said.
"Most of Victoria has been very much above average for summer."
Other highest maximum temperatures recorded in the Wimmera in January were in Horsham, 44.2; Nhill, 43.8; Edenhope, 43.7; and Ararat, 41.
Mr Russell said the western half of the Wimmera and south-western part of the Mallee had average summer temperatures which fell within the top 30 per cent of average temperatures on record.
"If you were to just look at the average temperatures, the average is pretty much high in that area there anyway," he said.
"There is desert, so it is naturally quite a hot area.''
Mr Russell said the remainder of the Wimmera recorded higher average temperatures in summer.
"The remainder of the district was within the top 10 per cent of average temperatures on record, as was the rest of Victoria," he said.
"This does not happen often; one in 10 summers or fewer.
"This has been because of the summer weather pattern."
High temperatures are forecast to continue for the Wimmera during the coming week.