SYDNEY, March 8 (Xinhua) -- The fire authority in the Australian state of Victoria on Friday declared a total fire ban for five regions with scorching heat and blustery winds expected to sweep through during the weekend.

According to the state's Country Fire Authority (CFA), residents in Wimmera, South West, North Central, Central, and West and South Gippsland districts, will be banned from lighting up a blaze in the open air on Saturday, as high-to-extreme fire dangers are forecast for most of the state.

With temperatures likely to surpass 35 degrees Celsius statewide and reach 40 degrees Celsius in the far South West, moderate northerly to north-westerly winds will also drive up the autumn heatwave.

CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan called on communities to stay alert during the following three days.

"We're expecting 40 km per hour north-westerly winds across the South West in the morning with gusts of 50 km per hour in the afternoon before a south-westerly change later in the day," Heffernan spoke of Saturday's weather conditions.

He added that the Central district, including Melbourne and Geelong, would see northerly winds of up to 45 km per hour and gusts of 80 km per hour.

The total fire ban came along with a three-day heatwave warning from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.

"Severe heatwave conditions are expected to peak across the long weekend with a prolonged run of heat. The expected passage of a trough on Tuesday should bring relief from the south," the weather bureau said. Enditem

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