The City of Melbourne Is Giving Free Movie Tickets and Pool Visits to the City's Homeless on Hot Days

While Melbourne prepares to cop apocalyptic temperatures of up to 44 degrees today, most of you will have already plotted your day around blasting air-con or — if you're already on holidays — nice cool bodies of water. With parts of the state tipped to smash their maximum temperature records for December, and an expected low of just 19 degrees overnight, it's safe to say this is no day to be stuck outside. But for folks sleeping rough, cool-down options are few and far between.

So, the City of Melbourne has announced it will again lend a helping hand to local homeless on this scorcher of a day — and others to come — by offering some sweet relief in the form of free movie tickets and complimentary pool visits.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp explained the offer — which has run in previous years — is part of a long-term heat relief program for Melbourne's homeless, run across the hottest days of summer. "We know that it can be very hard to beat the heat for people who are experiencing homelessness," she said. "We offer free passes for our city pools or movie tickets to ensure people have somewhere to go to cool down when it is extremely hot outside."

Extreme heat is forecast across #Victoria tomorrow, with many locations likely to break December max temp records. Much of the northwest including #Mildura and #Horsham are forecast to reach 47°C while 44°C is forecast for #Melbourne and #Warrnambool https://t.co/EgDcP4McRz pic.twitter.com/Z2g1XZ94kz

— Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria (@BOM_Vic) December 19, 2019

During heatwave conditions, people experiencing homelessness will have access to free movie tickets (and the sweet cinema air-con that goes with it), with passes distributed by the city's homelessness service providers up until April 30, 2020. Free swim and locker passes are also being handed out, to be used at any of the City of Melbourne's four aquatic facilities: Melbourne City Baths, Carlton Baths, North Melbourne Recreation Centre and Kensington Community Recreation Centre.

In anticipation of today's brutal conditions, The Salvation Army's Lighthouse Café on Bourke Street — which is usually closed in the afternoon — will also remain open for 24 hours, providing another cool place for disadvantaged locals to escape the heat.

The free services will be available for those who need them during heatwaves — which the State Government defines as "a period of unusual and uncomfortable hot weather that could negatively affect human health" — until the end of April next year.

Temperatures aren't going to cool down until early tomorrow morning — and you'll be relieved to know that tomorrow will only reach a top of 20 degrees. Until then, stay cool and hydrated and follow the City of Melbourne's heatwave tips.