Bureau of Meteorology forecasts hotter, drier autumn than usual for the Ballarat region

The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting a 60 to 70 percent chance of below-median rainfall for parts of southern and eastern Australia between March and May.

Minimum temperatures are 60 to 80 per cent more likely to be warmer than the median minimum over the same period.

"For the Central Highlands, our fire season is really starting to come on line based on the drying conditions we've had," Deputy Chief Officer West Region Brett Boatman said.

"Our conditions are a few weeks behind where they usually are because of a wet Spring but they're fully cured grasslands across the whole area.

"That means that on warm days there is the potential for fires to spread very quickly as they did at Glenmore/Rowsley on Friday."

The bureau said the long range forecast reflected a declining La Nina and a positive Southern Annular Mode (related to westerly winds in the upper atmosphere) returning to neutral.

Mr Boatman asked locals to be vigilant and make sure they were complying with CFA requirements over the Fire Danger Period.

At this stage, the FDP is due to end on May 1 for Ballarat, Moorabool, Hepburn, Pyrenees and Golden Plains.

"Always have water ready to go," he said.

"We're also grateful that people are maintaining their machinery well - and that during harvest they remove the dust so it doesn't catch fire. If they could delay their works on Total Fire Ban days, that would be a good thing too.

"We want people on the land to continue the excellent work they've been doing."

Mr Boatman also had a warning for the days ahead, with the temperatures expected to climb into the 30s on Thursday and Friday.

"We're asking people to stay informed about the conditions and keep an eye on the VicEmergency app."

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