· Heat hits northern SA
· Queensland’s unusual heatwave
· January set for floods, dust storms and fires

Victorians could be putting on jackets and dodging rain clouds while some parts of the country sweat through record-breaking temperatures.

Weather bureau senior forecaster Terry Ryan says Victoria won’t be hit by the blast of hot desert heat that’s struck elsewhere.

“We’re protected by this generally southwest to southerly air flow,” he said on Thursday.

“We’ve got nothing here that’s very hot at all.”

Melbourne only reached a high of 20C by midday on Thursday with temperatures forecast to stay between a low of 12C and a high of 24C during the next five to six days.

Even in the far north, Mildura reached the state’s highest temperature of 25.5C at 1pm (AEDT).

The town isn’t forecast to break above 30C until Wednesday.

A band of rain has also been crossing the state as the remnants of ex-Tropical Cyclone Christine is picked up by southerly winds.

Scattered showers are forecast in Melbourne over the next five days.

Victoria’s fire danger ratings have also dropped to low across northern parts of the state.