POOR air quality and visibility caused by the smoke haze and wild weather has forced the temporary closure of more than 20 Victorian beaches today, with 11 of those being on the Bellarine and Surf Coast.<\/p>\n
Life Saving Victoria took to social media this afternoon to share the news, advising that people keep up to date with the status of beach closures via the Vic Emergency app. <\/p>\n
According to Vic Emergency, the following beaches have been closed:
\n\u2022\tTorquay Beach
\n\u2022\tTorquay Front Beach
\n\u2022\tFairhaven Beach
\n\u2022\tApollo Bay Beach
\n\u2022\tBancoora Beach
\n\u2022\tThirteenth Beach
\n\u2022\tRaff\u2019s Beach
\n\u2022\tOcean Grove Beach
\n\u2022\tPoint Lonsdale Beach
\n\u2022\tQueenscliff Beach
\n\u2022\tEastern Beach<\/p>\n
Life Saving Victoria also offered a list of tips on how community members can stay safe in the weather. These included:
\n\u2022\tCheck that loose items such as outdoor settings, umbrellas and trampolines are safely secured and move vehicles under cover or away from trees.
\n\u2022\tStay indoors and away from windows.
\n\u2022\tIf outdoors, move to a safe place indoors. Stay away from trees, drains, gutters, creeks and waterways.
\n\u2022\tIf driving conditions are dangerous, safely pull over away from trees, drains, low-lying areas and floodwater. Avoid travel if possible.
\n\u2022\tStay safe by avoiding dangerous hazards, such as floodwater, mud, debris, damaged roads and fallen trees.
\n\u2022\tStay away from fallen power lines and always assume they are live.<\/p>\n
\u201cA temporary beach closure means the red and yellow flags are taken down and a warning sign is displayed on the beach to alert patrons that swimming is not advised,\u201d the post said. <\/p>\n
\u201cLifesavers will continue to observe the beach, answer the public\u2019s questions and monitor conditions during patrol hours and if conditions improve, the beach will re-open and red and yellow flags will be put back up.\u201d <\/p>\n
The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the Bellarine Peninsula at 3.50pm.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
POOR air quality and visibility caused by the smoke haze and wild weather has forced the temporary closure of more than 20 Victorian beaches today, with 11 of those being on the Bellarine and Surf Coast. Life Saving Victoria took to social media this afternoon to share the news, advising that people keep up to […]<\/p>\n