Two popular inner-city Melbourne beaches, and a third on Victoria’s Surf Coast, were temporarily closed on Sunday after more shark sightings near the shore.

Elwood Beach and St Kilda Beach — just a few kilometres from the CBD — were closed about midday after a 1.5-metre shark was spotted  about 100 metres off St Kilda Marina just after 11am.

Oh it's all happening at #Elwood beach after a #shark sighting! pic.twitter.com/5fNKngYTmt

— Katrina Mathers (@katminsky) January 8, 2017

Both beaches  re-opened at 2pm.

Fairhaven Beach, south of Anglesea on Victoria’s coast, was also closed about 2pm after two shark sightings.

Lifesavers were patrolling the area on Sunday afternoon.

Fairhaven beach evacuated after another shark sighting. #sharkies @abcnewsMelb 🌊 pic.twitter.com/ujum7yyC06

— Margaret Paul (@margaretpaul) January 8, 2017

Another shark, believed to be a bronze whaler, was also spotted at nearby Anglesea about 10:30am, but the beach remained open.

There have been numerous shark sightings along the coast in recent days, including on Friday, when six great white sharks were seen near Fairhaven.

Fisheries Victoria has warned of a “three to four-year high” in the number of reported shark sightingsin Victorian waters this summer.

Most have been bronze whalers but some great whites have also been seen and one theory is that schools of baitfish are drawing sharks into beaches.