Crowds pack out Melbourne beaches on Cup Day as warm weather nears record-breaking temperature
Thousands of people have flocked to Melbourne beaches to celebrate Cup Day as temperatures threaten to break records.
A top of 30 degrees was forecast for Melbourne and if temperatures exceed 30.2 degrees, it will be the hottest Melbourne Cup Day since 1969.
Laverton in the city's south-west recorded the highest temperature of 30.6 degrees at 4.30pm.
The overall record was 35 degrees in 1902.
READ MORE: How Melburnians will be celebrating Cup Day despite COVID-19 restrictions
Melburnians have flocked to beaches as temperatures rise to a top of 30 degrees. Nine
Beachgoers have been warned to social distance and wear masks. Nine
Melburnians packed out beaches with people flooding St Kilda Beach, Brighton Beach and Williamstown Beach, sparking concerns of social distancing.
Beachgoers have been told to stay at least a 'towel length' apart from other groups, with masks to be worn at all times except when in the ocean or walking to and from the water.
There has been a heavy police presence at beaches, parks and gardens today, with officers not hesitating to hand out fines to those breaching restrictions.
Groups gather in Melbourne as Cup Day celebrations ramp up. Nine
Melburnians have gathered at parks and gardens to celebrate Melbourne Cup Day. Nine
Infringements would also be issued to those drinking alcohol in public spaces where it is banned, like the St Kilda foreshore.
Victoria's COVID-19 testing commander Jeroen Weimar said today was a day of zero coronavirus cases and "good weather", but this did not mean people could drop their guard during festivities.
He believes there could still be a "significant level" of undetected coronavirus infections in the state, despite Victoria recording zero cases over four consecutive days.
Beachgoers have flooded Brighton Beach in Melbourne to make the most of the warm weather. Nine
"We are not over this by any means," he said.
"We still believe there are significant levels of COVID-19 cases out there in our community."
Melburnians snapped up tables at restaurants, cafes and pubs today, with majority of venues booked out across the city.
The Smith pub in Prahran was booked out for Cup Day within hours of bookings being made available.
"We sold out very quickly," spokesperson Andrew Croucher told 9News.
"It was only a couple of hours and the tickets were gone."
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