Melbourne had one of its hottest December days on record as the temperature reached 42.1 at 2.45pm on NYE. But within 30 minutes on New Years Day, as the cool change swept in from the south, the temperature dropped more than 17 degrees to about 25.
It was Melbourne's hottest early-December day since 1898 and its sixth-hottest December day. The hottest December day on record was on December 31 last year, when the mercury hit 42.9 degrees.
Fire crews around Victoria had another day of oppressive conditions.
The mercury reached 41 in Wangaratta, 42 in the Latrobe Valley and 36 in Bairnsdale. It was more than 37 at Mount Gellibrand, near Colac, where fire destroyed a house. Conditions were stifling in many centres including Swan Hill, Kerang, Essendon and Laverton, where temperatures reached 43 degrees.
NYE Melbourne 2007