A cool change was moving across the state, with temperatures forecast to drop to the mid-20s along with high winds and thunderstorms.

Homes and lives were under threat as 13 emergency alerts were still in place for out-of-control blazes in Victoria's far east and northeast.

A large uncontrolled fire moving from the NSW border prompted an evacuation alert for residents in Walwa.

"Firefighters have been unable to stop the fire and it has now crossed into Victoria and is moving towards Walwa, Guys Creek, Cudgewa, Burrowa Pine National Park," the alert said.

An emergency warning also remained for a fire threatening the north-eastern Melbourne suburbs of Bundoora, Greensborough and Mill Park.

An emergency warning was also issued late on Monday for Lakes Entrance, Nowa Nowa and surround with residents advised that it is too late to leave.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews returned from holidays on Monday afternoon and was visiting the state control centre.

Emergency services had encouraged residents and holiday-makers on Sunday to leave East Gippsland, where two out-of-control bushfires merged early on Monday morning.

This message shifted as roads closed and changing conditions sparked new fires.

"The highly recommended strategy is - do not be on the roads. It is too dangerous to be driving," police minister Lisa Neville said on Monday.

"Not only just from smoke, but because of the erratic nature and the fast-moving nature of these fires in East Gippsland."

The Princes Highway in East Gippsland is closed in both directions between Bairnsdale and Genoa due to increased fire activity.

Access to the Princes Highway towards Eden, NSW from Mallacoota and Genoa is also now closed.

The Great Alpine Road between Bruthen and Ensay could be shut for up to a fortnight.

"It is unpredictable, it's dangerous out there. A fire that started mid afternoon moved about 24 km within four or five hours as the wind changed direction," Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp said.

"It put up a column, punching into the atmosphere 14km high. These columns are generating their own weather. There's lightning coming out of these columns."

The weather conditions on Monday lived up to its forecast of severe conditions, with temperatures in the high 30s to low-to-mid 40s across most of Victoria.

East Gippsland's Bairnsdale registered 42.7C and the temperature hit between 40C and 44C around Melbourne.

There were also windy conditions and dry lightning, which sparked new blazes across the state.

The weather change was forecast to hit East Gippsland around midnight and push temperatures lower as it moves through.

"For the whole night in eastern Gippsland we're going to have unstable conditions, we're going to have the fires, and the change moving through.," Bureau of Meteorology Victoria State Manager Andrew Tupper said.

"Of course, when a wind change hits fires, then that can also greatly aggravate the spread of those fires. To complicate things even further, there is a little bit of rain with the storms."

Commissioner Crisp said there were no confirmed reports of property loss at this stage.

An evacuation alert was put in place for the Bundoora fire before residents were told it was too late to leave.

Ambulance Victoria said that two people have been treated at the scene for non-life threatening injuries.

Organisers of New Year's Eve events across East Gippsland cancelled fireworks, but not other festivities, at Nicholson River, Metung, Paynesville foreshore and Lakes Entrance.

The hot, windy conditions in Melbourne also prompted the closure of the Werribee Open Range Zoo.

RELIEF CENTRES:

* Bairnsdale City Oval: MacArthur Street, Bairnsdale

* Sale Showgrounds: 1 Maffra-Sale Rd, Sale

* FULL - Cann River Community Centre: 13 Princes Highway, Cann River

* FULL - Orbost Community Sports Centre: 40 Arnold Street, Orbost

* Omeo Recreation Reserve: Park Street, Omeo

* East Gippsland Shire Council's customer service centre: 18 Mechanics Street, Lakes Entrance

* Delegate Country Club: 3074 Delegate Rd, Delegate, NSW

* The Bairnsdale Library on Service Street and the East Gippsland Shire Council's customer service centre on Orbost at 1 Ruskin Street are open for heat relief.

(Source: East Gippsland Shire Council on Monday)

Australian Associated Press