News live: temperatures pass 46C in north-west Victoria; Australian Open suspends play on outside courts under heat protocols

Extreme fire weather expected to fuel blazes and pose threat to communities near Great Ocean Road. Follow today’s news liveExtreme heatwave may break records in Victoria as firefighters warn of bushfire risk in ‘very dry’ stateGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastVictoria to open nation’s first offshore wind auction this yearAustralia’s first offshore wind auction is set to kick off this year, with the Victorian Government announcing it would invite tenders for 2 gigawatts of capacity in August.We want to give industry the certainty it needs to invest and help us keep building the renewable energy Victoria needs to push down energy bills. Continue reading...