(Bloomberg) -- Several festival organizers are postponing or cancelling events in the Australian state of Victoria due to a heat wave that has prompted authorities to warn of the increased the risk of wild fires.

The Bureau of Meteorology issued severe heat wave warnings for Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales and Tasmania with temperatures forecast to hit 40C (104F) or more in some regions. 

Organizers of the Moomba Festival canceled the long-standing Moomba Parade due to take place on Monday “to ensure the safety of performers, spectators and our workers and volunteers,” according to a statement on the event website. It is the festival’s 70th anniversary.

“Unlike other Moomba events where there’s good access to shade, water and cooling measures, Parade participants are required to spend several hours outdoors in hot, heavy costumes – putting them at greater risk,” the organizers said. The festival is held along the banks of the Yarra River in Melbourne.

Australia is prone to high temperatures and wild fires. Last month, fire burnt through around 22,000 hectares of land. Between July 2019 and March 2020, the so-called Black Summer fires raged across the nation’s east, killing 33 people and consuming 24 million hectares of land — an area roughly equivalent to half of California. 

The Yarraville Festival, which includes a dog parade and outdoor entertainment in an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, was postponed by a week to March 17 because of the heat wave. 

Organizers of the Pitch music and arts festival, taking place near the Grampians mountain range in southwestern Victoria, rescheduled some events on Saturday after local fire authorities declared an “extreme” fire danger rating for the day and implemented a so-called Total Fire Ban for the area. 

They said Sunday that “regular programming” has resumed after consulting with local fire and police authorities, according to a post on Facebook.

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