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Firefighters are battling to protect communities in Victoria's west from bushfires, while a destructive storm has wreaked havoc across the state, leaving half a million people without power.
A bushfire burned out of control at Pomonal, with a number of properties believed to be lost.
Five firefighters were treated for minor injuries there after the quick-moving blaze left them with no time to get out of its way.
Further north, a bushfire burned through the Grampians National Park near Mt Stapylton where residents were urged to seek shelter with the threat too dangerous to leave.
Residents were told to evacuate after another bushfire flared up in Newtown, near Ballarat.
Dry lightning was the cause of many fires that ignited across the state.
Destructive thunderstorms producing wind gusts of more than 100 kilometres per hour moved across the state, sending trees crashing into cars.
The State Emergency Service received hundreds of calls for help related to the storms.
One witness told the ABC she watched as a tree crashed into an empty van in Melbourne's south-east.
"It was like a mini tornado, my car almost got lifted off the ground," the witness said.
Authorities battling the blazes have faced a day of "catastrophic" conditions due to gusting winds and soaring temperatures.
A catastrophic fire danger warning was issued for the Wimmera district, while an extreme fire danger was forecast for the Mallee, Northern Country and Central districts, which includes Melbourne.
Temperatures reached the mid to high 30s in northern and western regions of the state today, as Victoria entered its fourth day of a heatwave warning issued by the BOM.
Tuesday was the first time in four years that Victorian fire authorities have issued a "catastrophic" fire warning.
On Monday night they urged communities in Rainbow, Warracknabeal, Minyip, Rupanyup and Murtoa to evacuate.
Dozens of schools closed in the area and a total fire ban was in place across much of the state.
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Minyip and Rainbow residents 'not feeling too stressed'
Early on Tuesday, Minyip Fire Brigade captain Trent Kerrins said he was not sure the use of the word "catastrophic" to describe the fire danger rating in his town today was effective.
Mr Kerrins and his Minyip brigade held a meeting Monday night to plan for a busy day, but Captain Kerrins said he was not aware of any residents who had evacuated.
"I am pretty relaxed about it," he said.
"We're not covered in bushland or anything like that, but around the Grampians it's a different story."
Rainbow resident and president of the Rainbow Lake Committee, Chris Zadow, said he was also "not feeling too stressed" about the fire danger and had not felt the need to do any personal preparations.
He said farmers were standing down heavy machinery as a precaution.
"We've never had any big fires threaten the Rainbow township that I am aware of," he said.
"I think the locals here know more about it and are not too stressed about it because we are surrounded by farming land, and also there's a big salt swamp out to our west of us which is a bit of a barrier."
"Everyone will be on alert, but no-one's' too stressed about it really."
Authorities defend 'catastrophic' rating
James Todd from Victoria's State Control Centre urged people in the Wimmera to take heed of the warnings.
"We know if fire was to start today under these strong northerly winds and later with this south-westerly change coming through … grassfires would be fast-moving," Mr Todd said.
He acknowledged the use of the word "catastrophic" could be seen as an overreach by authorities but stressed if fire took hold, there was a high risk of lives being lost.
"The wording needs to resonate enough that people pay attention to it," Mr Todd said.
"I also appreciate that in some circumstances that might feel like a bit of an over-description of the risk.
Mr Todd said residents of Rainbow, Warracknabeal, Minyip, Rupanyup and Murtoa were still strongly advised to evacuate.
"As best they can, they should try to leave the district and if that means staying with friends or family elsewhere or simply moving to another regional centre outside of these high-risk areas … we strongly recommend people don't plan to stay and defend their homes on days such as this," he said.
Farmer urges against complacency
Simon de Crespigny farms at Tarrawingee near Wangaratta and at Beechworth in Victoria's north-east and said every year, he and his wife activated a carefully thought-out fire plan.
He urged people facing extreme and catastrophic fire danger in Victoria not to be complacent.
"We usually do a drill in September to work out how long it takes us to get everything ready and to revise the procedure because when a fire comes through we don't get a lot of warning," he said.
"We have fire carts fuelled up, watered up ready to go from late September, generators all ready because the first thing we would probably lose is power, so we rely on fresh water and dam water pumps to supply water around the properties.
"And we have fire plans, which are distributed right through our house."
Melbourne swelters under high temperatures
The Bureau of Meteorology said severe heatwave conditions were expected to ease with a cooler change from late Tuesday night through early Wednesday morning.
Victoria experienced maximum temperatures in the mid to high 30s on Tuesday before cooling to high teens to mid 20s on Wednesday.
- This story was first published by the ABC