Another heatwave and potentially dangerous bushfire conditions are on the way for the rest of the week and into early March, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

While temperatures are not expected to reach the record-breaking maximums of January, when Shepparton overshot its hottest temperature twice — climbing to 44.6°C and later in the month hitting 46.2°C — other factors could increase the fire danger.

BoM senior meteorologist Richard Carlyon said temperatures in the region should remain high into the weekend, with little hope of a reprieve from an expected cool change.

‘‘From (yesterday) onwards we’re likely to see northerly winds extend right across the state which will see temperatures climb quite quickly. So, (from today) we’ll see temperatures in the mid-to-high 30s across most of the state,’’ he said.

Shepparton is expected to reach maximums of 37°C and 38°C from today through to Sunday.

The conditions, coupled with a dry, hot start to the year, will exacerbate dangerous bushfire conditions, according to Mr Carlyon.

‘‘We’ve had a hot January and February and that’s allowed the fuel to dry out. It is ready to burn, and we are seeing these northerly winds increasing over the next few days,’’ he said.

‘‘So, we’ll have the high temperatures, increasing northerly winds. It won’t be a humid northerly air stream, but not a completely dry one either. Fire dangers will be nudging very high to severe over the next few days.’’

January saw only 6.6mm of rain captured at the Shepparton observation station, with the exact same amount having fallen in February to date.

A predicted cool change for the south of Victoria on Sunday is not expected to reach the region.

The unusually dry conditions should also continue, according to Mr Carlyon.

‘‘(The predicted Sunday cool change will be) another mainly dry change moving through with no link to the tropics (and) no major rain bands,’’ he said.

Minimum temperatures are also expected to be at the high-end for the next few days, sitting above 20°C.

‘‘We have seen some cool mornings recently, but with that heat building, the minimum temperatures should be particularly high as well.’’

March is predicted to continue with the hot, dry conditions.

‘‘Normally March is a dry month with warm conditions persisting, but this March will be quite a hot start,’’ Mr Carlyon said.