UPDATE: BENDIGO residents are sweltering through the second heatwave of the year, with temperatures staying high for at least another two days.
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The mercury has already topped 41 degrees this weekend, as residents pour into the local pools, the redeveloped Bendigo Library and Bendigo Cinema to avoid the heat.
Bendigo experienced temperatures of 40.6 degrees on Friday and 41 degrees on Saturday, with an expected top of 43 degrees today.
Residents will have to swelter through one more day of heat tomorrow too, with a forecast top of 41 degrees.
It has been declared another Total Fire Ban day, with the CFA reminding people it is illegal to light a fire in the open air without a permit.
CFA Loddon Mallee community education co-ordinator Paul Tangey said people should not rely solely on warnings when it came to fire danger.
"People need to check the conditions and keep up-to-date with what is happening in their area," he said.
The RACV is also calling on Victorian motorists to ensure children are not left unattended in cars as the hot weather continues.
Road user behaviour manager Melinda Congiu said RACV roadside assistance patrols faced increased demand from members due to vehicle breakdowns in the heat, meaning the message was ever important.
She said RACV patrols had already rescued 48 children and pets from locked cars since January 1.
“While RACV prioritises call-outs to vehicle lock-ins, the few minutes it can take for a patrol to reach the scene can make an enormous difference when temperatures are extreme,” she said.
“It can only take a few minutes for a child locked in a car with that temperature to become seriously ill or die due to heatstroke or dehydration.”
Bendigo Health will release figures of heat-affected patients that attended the hospital today.
EARLIER: AS temperatures soar this weekend, Golden Square residents are making the most of the local pool, which was saved through community efforts late last year.
The pool was packed yesterday, with several local families staying cool in the water.
Golden Square resident and councillor Elise Chapman spent the day teaching her daughter Blayze to swim.
Cr Chapman said the pool was worth fighting for.
"There's no doubt all the hard work was worth it," she said.
"We've had 8500 visitors through the pool this summer since the pool opened.
"At our record in the past we hit 10,000 people and we're hoping to get there again."