Yesterday might as well have been a classic Ballarat winter’s day, with grey skies, drizzling rain and blustery winds.

The temperature did manage to sneak above 20 degrees around midday, however it quickly dropped down to the mid-teens as the rain began to fall.

By late afternoon there had been almost three millimetres of rain in Ballarat, with a bit more expected over the next few days.

Despite the wintry weather, some fire tower lookout operators were still at their posts in the Ballarat region.

Department of Environment and Primary Industries Midlands fire manager Merydth Whitehead said the Mount Franklin fire lookout tower was one of eight in the district. 

“They’re really important for early detection of smoke and fire and the early dispatch of crews,” she said.

Cooler temperatures will see the fire danger rating drop to low-moderate in the Central region tomorrow, however it will be back up to high by the end of the week.

Ballarat is forecast to reach a temperature of 23 degrees today, with an early shower or two before a mostly sunny

afternoon.