Changing winds challenge firefighters in Victoria as three people missing in worst fire day in years — as it happened

We are wrapping up our live coverage of the extreme heatwave and bushfire conditions affecting south-east Australia.

For the latest bushfire warnings, check the VicEmergency website and tune in to your local ABC radio station.

Here is the latest:

• Emergency warnings are in place for eight blazes. They are the Longwood fire north of Melbourne, a fire at Mount Mercer near Geelong, a grass fire at Skipton near Ballarat, a fire at Mount Blackwood near Bacchus Marsh, a grass fire at Quantong & Vectis near Horsham, a grass fire at Muckatah in the state's north, a fire near Walwa in the state's north-east and several fires near Wonnangatta in the alpine area.
• A cool change sweeping from the south-west has brought temperature relief. But it poses challenging conditions for firefighters by changing the direction of fires. Melbourne's temperature was 28.2C at 6pm after reaching 42.6C at 4pm.
• Three people, including a child, remain unaccounted for in Longwood.
• Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said personal hardships grants have been activated for residents affected by bushfires.
• Several homes and structures have been lost in the small township of Ruffy, about 100km north of Melbourne, which is the state's largest active blaze.
• Many roads including the Hume Highway between Violet Town and Seymour remain closed. Authorities have urged Victorians to cancel non-essential travel.
• A damaging wind warning has been issued for most of Victoria. Damaging gusts of up to 110km/h are forecast, but winds are expected to ease throughout the evening. Locations which may be affected include Bendigo, Seymour, Maryborough, Ballarat, Geelong, Melbourne, Traralgon and Bairnsdale.

— Miles Proust

Melbourne has dropped to 30C after reaching a top of 43.1C just before 4pm.

It comes as VicEmergency issued emergency warnings for residents in Cambarville, Granton, Marysville, Narbethong, St Fillans and Wilks Creek, which are now threatened by the Longwood fire as a wind change sweeps across the state.

People in those areas are urged to evacuate now.

"A wind change is expected around 8.00pm tonight (Friday 9 January). This will cause the fire to change direction to the north-east, heading back towards Strathbogie. Conditions will become very dangerous and unpredictable," the warning states.

Marysville was devastated by the Black Saturday bushfires of 2009. Forty people were killed and 90 per cent of the town was destroyed.

Relief centres have been opened at Lilydale High School, 25 Melba Ave, Lilydale and — for caravans and trailers — Lilydale Recreation Reserve, Showgrounds, Market Street, Lilydale.

— Miles Proust

A cool change has begun sweeping across Victoria.

Speaking a short time ago, the State Control Centre's David Nugent said the winds would pose challenging conditions for firefighters.

"As that wind change crosses the state, we will get that cooler air that will come in behind that change," he said.

"It will be cooler but unfortunately, the thing that also is associated with that change is potential storm activity."

The temperature in Horsham has dropped to 32C as of 5pm as that cool change sweeps through. The town reached 43C at 12.35pm.

Speaking on ABC News, the Bureau of Meteorology's Sarah Scully said the cool change had passed through the Geelong area in the past 30 minutes.

Scully said the wind change would affect the direction of the fire.

"One of the major challenges is ... you can have a fire that's been moving in a southwards direction for most of the day under the influence of northerly winds, and then you get suddenly a push from the west or south-westerly and it creates a very long and much wider fire front that goes in a completely different direction where people haven't been smelling smoke, that haven't seen signs of the fire," she said.

"Wind change days are particularly dangerous with regards to fire weather."

— Miles Proust

John Grant, from the Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service (WIRES), has spoken to ABC News about how native wildlife is affected by heatwave conditions.

"The first ones to be affected generally are flying foxes or any type of bat because they can't regulate their body temperature," he said.

"As soon it goes over 40C they tend to collapse."

He said people should not touch bats if they find them due to the viruses they can carry.

Residents should instead call WIRES or other wildlife organisations so a vaccinated volunteer can handle them.

Grant said possums, koalas and birds will often come to the ground during extreme heat.

Some wildlife will also seek shelter on properties, with Grant advising people to check swimming pools for animals that may have fallen in while drinking.

— Miles Proust

A total fire ban has been issued for large parts of NSW on Saturday as extreme weather conditions sweep across the state.

The ban will be in place in the Greater Hunter, Central Ranges, Greater Sydney, Illawarra/Shoalhaven, Southern Ranges, Southern Slopes, Monaro Alpine and Far South Coast.

Most of the state will be in extreme and high fire conditions.

A total fire ban will also be in place across all of Victoria.

— Miles Proust

Emergency warnings have been issued for seven fires across Victoria.

They include:

• The Longwood fire north of Melbourne
• The Walwa fire in the state's north-east
• A grass fire at Ravenswood South, south of Bendigo
• A grass fire at Skipton, south-west of Ballarat
• A grass fire at Natimuk, west of Horsham
• A grass fire near Muckatah in the state's north
• A fire at Mount Mercer near Meredith

An earlier warning for Avalon in Geelong's north has been downgraded to advice level.

Emergency warnings have been issued for seven blazes across Victoria. Source: VicEmergency

— Miles Proust

An out-of-control grass fire has also broken out in Geelong's north.

Residents in Avalon, Corio and Lara have been advised to shelter indoors.

"You are in danger, act now to protect yourself. It is too late to leave. The safest option is to take shelter indoors immediately," VicEmergency warned.

— Miles Proust

An emergency warning has been issued for a grass fire burning out of control near Castelmaine.

The warning is for Barkers Creek, Harcourt, Harcourt North, Muckleford, Ravenswood, Ravenswood South and Walmer.

Residents are advised to shelter indoors.

"You are in danger, act now to protect yourself. It is too late to leave," VicEmergency says.

"The safest option is to take shelter indoors immediately. Do not get in the car and drive. It is safer to stay where you are."

— Miles Proust

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said three people, earlier reported missing in the Longwood fire, remain unaccounted for.

Anyone with information about the trio, which includes a child, should contact the police.

Earlier, Allan said personal hardship grants for affected residents had been activated.

She said residents in the Strathbogie, Towong, Mansfield and Murrindindi local government areas were eligible for the assistance.

"The requirements are people who have been asked to evacuate, or who have had their home damaged and destroyed by fire."

— Miles Proust

VicEmergency has advised residents in Carranballac, Skipton, Streatham and Vite Vite North near Ballarat to evacuate immediately.

A grass fire at Streatham is out of control and is travelling east towards Skipton, where it's expected to impact at 4.30pm.

For more information about current warnings, visit the VicEmergency website.

— Miles Proust

Brendan Moon, the coordinator general of the National Emergency Management Agency, said 40 fires are active across the state.

More than 700 Victorian firefighters are battling the blazes, along with interstate crews.

"The national aerial firefighting fleet is also providing support."

— Miles Proust

VicEmergency has issued fresh warnings in the past hour.

A grassfire on the outskirts of Natimuk near Horsham in the state's west is threatening homes.

Residents in Arapiles, Duchembegarra, Grass Flat, Mitre, Natimuk and Tooan have been advised to shelter indoors.

"You are in danger. Act now to protect yourself. It is too late to leave. The safest option is to take shelter indoors immediately," the warning states.

Residents in Haven, Lower Norton, McKenzie Creek, Noradjuha, Pimpinio, Quantong, Vectis, Vectis East, Vectis South have been advised to leave immediately.

A relief centre is being opened at Horsham Senior Citizens Centre at 17 Roberts Avenue, Horsham.

Another grass fire at Telfers Rd, Grass Flat is out of control, with residents in Haven, Lower Norton, McKenzie Creek, Noradjuha, Pimpinio, Quantong, Vectis, Vectis East, Vectis South advised to leave immediately.

— Miles Proust

Tens of thousands of properties are experiencing power outages across Victoria.

Electricity distributor Powercor reported 25,015 customers were offline in Western Victoria as of 2.20pm.

In the state's east, AusNet reported more than 18,000 customers had been affected by outages.

— Miles Proust

A crowd fundraiser has been set up for a native animal shelter destroyed by the Longwood bushfire.

Victorian wildlife rescuer Robyn Coy rescued and rehabilitated injured and orphaned native animals, including koalas and wallabies hurt in fires in 2015, out of the Tarcombe Animal Shelter near Seymour.

A fundraiser for the destroyed animal shelter had raised nearly $5,000 by Friday afternoon.

"Robyn lost everything in the fire and was not insured due to financial difficulties of self-funding the shelter," the fundraiser states.

Animal Justice Party MP for Northern Victoria, Georgie Purcell, said the shelter had for years been an "incredible champion for wildlife in need".

"To hear that it has been completely destroyed by fire is nothing short of a tragedy.

"Dr Robyn Coy has opened her home to countless native animals for care, rehabilitation and release. Now, in her time of need, it's so vitally important that the community rallies behind her to recover and rebuild."

— Miles Proust

Mitchell Shire mayor, John Dougall, has told ABC News he expects more damage to be discovered when roads reopen in the towns affected by the Longwood fire.

He said residents streaming into the Seymour Sports and Aquatics Centre, set up as a disaster relief spot, has brought stories of devastation.

"People were told to evacuate and they really had no time to act. They made that decision and they did," he said.

"The primary school at Ruffy has been burnt to the ground, the general store at Ruffy, again burnt to the ground."

He said the fire had covered a large area and many communities remained under threat.

Dougall said the area was particularly vulnerable because of below-average rainfall last year.

"Now we have this fire that is underway, that vulnerability is turning into a real danger and real threat."

— Miles Proust

Melbourne reached 40C by 12.30pm on Friday as north-westerly winds brought extreme heat from the interior. A top of 43C is forecast for the city — three degrees off the all-time record.

Parts of South Australia are also experiencing extreme heat, with Renmark and Port Augusta reaching 44C by 12.30pm. Both towns are forecast to reach 46C.

Temperatures in south-western NSW have reached the low forties, with the hottest air expected to reach the NSW coast on Saturday. Sydney is forecast to reach 42C on Saturday, which would be its hottest day in six years.

Damaging winds of up to 90km/h are forecast this afternoon for most of Victoria and Tasmania, before moving into south-east NSW on Saturday.

A cool change will bring relief to Melbourne this evening, which could result in a drop of 20C.

— Miles Proust

The Longwood fire has burned through more than 30,000 hectares.

Claire Ewart-Kennedy, the deputy mayor of Strathbogie Shire Council, in which the Longwood fire sits, told ABC NewsRadio it's "absolutely the worst I have seen it".

Claire Ewart-Kennedy, the deputy mayor of Strathbogie Shire Council, says the Longwood fire is "absolutely the worst" she has seen. Source: Supplied / VicEmergency

Forecast bands of dry lightning across the state have sparked mini fires surrounding the Walwa and Longwood fires, CFA chief officer Jason Heffernan said. Source: Supplied / VicEmergency

The Longwood fire has now spread across 3000km and is burning across bushland in a south-easterly direction. Source: Supplied / VicEmergency

— Josie Harvey

VicEmergency has issued further shelter warnings for areas near the Longwood fire, which is travelling in a south-east direction towards Eildon.

Residents in Cathkin, Caveat, Ghin Ghin, Highlands, Kanumbra, Killingworth, Koriella, Molesworth, Whanregarwen, and Yarck are urged to shelter indoors immediately.

— Miles Proust

Daniel Boote, also from Avenel, said the fire's unpredictability was the scariest part.

"On a day like today and what's expected, it could easily turn on itself and wipe us out pretty quickly," he told SBS News.

His uncle, Rod Johns, left his home on Thursday afternoon.

Daniel Boote (left) and his uncle Rod Johns spoke to SBS News at the Seymour disaster relief centre. Source: SBS / Tys Occhiuzzi

"I used to live here, so I've got friends here and stayed with them last night. We both know of a number of people who think they've lost their houses … so it's very sad, very sad," Boote said.

Johns was the police commander in the area during the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires and said he knew what catastrophic conditions could bring.

"It's still amazing how many people don't take note of the warnings … but I think most people take the message and get out. The good thing is we had plenty of warning so people could plan and move," he said.

John Dougall, the mayor of Mitchell Shire, said it was a difficult time for the community.

"A very tense time for our community, it's eerie almost with the fire right on our doorstep almost."

— Tys Occhiuzzi

Terry and Sue Trimmer from Avenel, near the Longwood fire, loaded up their car and left their home on Thursday.

"[It’s been] sirens, chaos, we had a meeting last night and the CFA said today will be catastrophic and people need to understand what catastrophic means," Trimmer told SBS News at a disaster relief centre in Seymour.

Terry and Sue Trimmer from Avenel evacuated their home on Thursday. Source: SBS / Tys Occhiuzzi

Terry said it felt like a "bit of déjà vu" following similar incidents in the past.

"That's why we took note of the Emergency Vic app, which told us to go … so we loaded up the car and off we went.

"Nature is biting back.

"We slept in the car, we didn't have to; they have everything here, but for us oldies, it was actually easier to sleep in the car."

— Tys Occhiuzzi