Second heatwave as Vic temperatures soar

A total fire ban has been declared for today across Victoria, which is set for another heatwave.

Parts of Victoria will stay above 40 degrees for six days, while Melbourne will be in the 30s for much of the week.

The news comes as figures from the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine show 139 more people died than expected between the start of the last heatwave on January 13 and January 23.

The Bureau of Meteorology says Mildura in the state's north will have seven days in a row above 40 degrees.

Southern parts of Victoria will also have a period of extended heat, but not as warm as the north.