With the mercury topping 25 degrees around lunchtime, mother Ingrid Allen surprised her daughters Phoebe, 4, and Emma, 6, with a trip to the city’s newest attraction. 

“We told the kids to put their long bather tops on and they just knew we were going to the water park,” she said. 

“This is our first time at the park and the kids love it.”

And there’s more hot weather on the horizon, with Weatherzone predicting sunny skies in the lead-up to the new year. 

“We are going to see a fair bit more sunshine in the next week,” meteorologist Ben McBurney said.

“Saturday is going to be quite a hot day, reaching 33 degrees.”

Mr McBurney said Ballarat would not see rain until New Year’s Day. 

“There will be a chance of showers on New Year’s Day,” Mr McBurney said. 

“But we’re not going to see huge amounts of rain.” 

The Eureka Swimming Pool also proved popular during the heat, with 80 people taking a dip yesterday.