Melbourne is set to break a February heat record for the most 30-degree days in the month. The city has already had 12 days of 30-degrees or hotter this month, only two short of the record. On average there are seven days this hot in February. The record is likely to be equalled on Sunday and broken on Monday or Tuesday with low-to-mid 30s forecast for the next few days. There has been a lack of strong cold fronts and a blocking high pressure system over the Tasman Sea has directed north or northeasterly winds over state for much of the time. As a result of the high number of very warm days the city is having one of its hottest Februarys on record. The average maximum so far is 29.2 degrees, about 3.5 degrees above the long-term norm and one degree short of the hottest February on record. The hottest February in the 157 years of records was in 1898 when the average maximum was 30.2 degrees.