There have been several bushfires around the state of Victoria since last week but it really came to a head during the weekend when temperatures peaked at over 40 degrees Celcius. We went to city for a spot of shopping Saturday and was shocked to see that the city’s skyline was covered in smoke and haze. There were even reports of delayed flights coming in and going out of the city because of the poor visibility. With Christmas approaching and everyone wanting to get out of the heat, everyone flocked to the shopping centres. There were too many people in the mall that even the shopping centre’s airconditioning is struggling to cool the building and its many visitors. A cool change came Sunday evening and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

The temperature was quite moderate for the past few days ranging from about 12 degrees in the morning with a top of about 28 at its highest. There might also have been a change in wind direction as the smog around the city lifted. Yesterday’s news of several small fires merging into a big one was a bit scary though. A thick smog has enveloped the city today, accompanied by the smell of smoke and the sight of a weak, red sun occassionally peeking from behind the haze. Tomorrow’s forecast of over 30 degrees isn’t bringing any comfort either with conditions already expected to get worse.