Ballarat heatwave melts Spirit–Flyers showdown

• Latest News: Read more about the WNBL here.
• Latest WNBL Scores and Schedule here
• All 92 games of the 2025-26 WNBL season

The Bendigo Spirt vs Southside Melbourne Flyers WNBL26 Round 13 clash has been postponed because of extreme heat.

The game was supposed to tip-off in Ballarat at 7.30pm but it was too hot. Thirty minutes before tip-off it was 32 degrees coming down from a high of near 41 at just before 3pm.

It is unclear when the game will be played. It comes as the NBL was forced to postpone the Cairns Taipans vs Brisbane Bullets clash in Cairns tomorrow (Saturday, January 10, 2026) because of the threat of a cyclone in Far North Queensland.

"The WNBL is reviewing scheduling and ticketing options for the game and will provide further information in due course," the league said in a statement released tonight.

"Bendigo Spirit is in full support of the League’s decision to postpone tonight’s Round 13 clash in Ballarat with the Southside Melbourne Flyers," the Spirit said in a statement.

"With bushfires in the region impacting air quality, the decision has been made in the interest of player safety.

"Information regarding ticketing and potential re-scheduling of this fixture will be communicated as soon as it becomes available.

"Bendigo Spirit is thinking of all Victorians affected by the current bushfires right across the state.

"To the players, staff and supporters of both teams, please take extra care to travel home safely, and stay alert to all warnings and advice from Victorian Emergency Services."

In the first WNBL26 game today in Geelong, Townsville Fire flipped the script, crushing Geelong Venom by 24 points.

This is the weather warning from the Bureau of Meteorology

"Valid for Friday 09 January 2026 to Saturday 10 January 2026

"Extreme heatwave warning for: Northern Country, North East, East Gippsland, West and South Gippsland and North Central

"Severe heatwave warning for: Mallee, Wimmera, Central and South West

"Maximum temperatures are peaking on Friday, reaching the low to mid forties through all but the far southwest of the State. A milder west to southwesterly wind change will extend across western and southern parts of the State during Friday afternoon and evening, reaching the northeast of the State during Saturday morning. Overnight minimum temperatures for Friday into Saturday will range from the low to mid teens in the west to the high teens to low twenties in the east, while maximum temperatures on Saturday will range from the mid twenties in the west to the high twenties to low thirties in the east.

"Severe to extreme heatwave conditions will ease from the west over the weekend as the milder change extends across the State. Locations likely to be impacted include Melbourne Metropolitan Area, Albury-Wodonga, Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Horsham, Mildura, Melton, Shepparton and Wangaratta."

Warning & Safety Advice provided by the BOM

Extreme heatwaves can be dangerous for everyone.

Severe heatwaves can be dangerous for many people, especially older people, babies, children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, people with medical conditions and people who are unwell.

Seek a place to keep cool, such as your home, a library, community centre or shopping centre.

Close your windows and draw blinds, curtains or awnings early in the day to keep the heat out of your home.

If available, use fans or air-conditioners to keep cool.

For further safety information before, during and after heatwaves, visit https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/campaigns/survive-heat

Fire Warning

• ‍Catastrophic Fire Danger is forecast for the following fire weather districts: North Central, Northern Country, South West and Wimmera‍
• Extreme Fire Danger is forecast for the following fire weather districts: Central, East Gippsland, Mallee, North East and West and South Gippsland