HOT weather is expected in much of central Victoria for Australia Day as temperatures are set to rise.

Bendigo is expected to reach a high of 36 degrees, it will be a sunny morning with a high chance of showers during this afternoon and evening.

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The chance of a thunderstorm during this afternoon and evening with light winds becoming north to northeasterly 15 to 20 km/h in the middle of the day then becoming light in the late evening.

Castlemaine is set to be humid and partly cloudy, reaching a top of 36 degrees. There is a 70 per cent chance of showers in the west, medium chance elsewhere. The chance of a thunderstorm during this afternoon and evening.

Light winds becoming northeasterly 15 to 25 km/h in the middle of the day. Daytime maximum temperatures in the low to mid 30s.

It will be another hot one for Echuca, with the town hitting 36 degrees also. There is a high chance of showers during this afternoon and evening and a chance of a thunderstorm during this afternoon.

A heat health alert has also been issued for the Central and North Central districts in Victoria for Wednesday.

V/Line's network will run partial Extreme Heat timetable on the Bendigo, Swan Hill and Echuca Line today.

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Trains that usually travel at up to 160km/h need to slow down to 90km/h or less because steel tracks expand in the heat.

On these days, affected lines may be extended by a few minutes, and some services will be replaced by air-conditioned coaches for all or part of the journey.

Although today isn't currently a day of Total Fire Ban, the fire danger warning for the central, north central and northern country remains high.

Earlier

TRAINS across the regional rail network are expected to run to extreme heat timetables today as hot weather returns.

Services on the Bendigo, Swan Hill, Echuca, Seymour and Shepparton lines corridors will run to extreme heat timetables today, due to temperatures expected to exceed 35 degrees.

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Trains that usually travel at up to 160km/h need to slow down to 90km/h or less because steel tracks expand in the heat.

Temperatures throughout central Victoria will warm on Monday, with Bendigo reaching a high of 35, Echuca 36, Castlemaine 33 and Maryborough 34.

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Although today isn't currently a day of Total Fire Ban, the fire danger warning for the central, north central and northern country remains high.

Tuesday's weather is set to be a hot one, with Bendigo reaching a high of 37.

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