Total fire ban as Victoria set to swelter

Severe fire danger warnings have been issued for most of Victoria which is set to swelter through hot, dry and gusty conditions.

The CFA has declared a total fire ban for six of the state's nine districts - Central, Mallee, Northern Country, North Central, North East, South West and Wimmera - on Wednesday.

The Wimmera region's fire risk has been upgraded to "extreme", according to the Bureau of Meteorology, which has forecast hot, dry conditions and strong northerly winds.