The death of a surfer and a friend who tried to save him has sparked a stern warning from police, as a specialist officer who tried to rescue the pair recovers from the ordeal.
A 36-year-old British national got into trouble when his surfboard snapped in waters off Frankston in Melbourne's southeast on Wednesday afternoon, as Victoria was being lashed by intense wind gusts.
Victoria Police Detective Inspector Melissa Nixon said he "wasn't experienced at surfing" and his friend, a 43-year-old local man, jumped from a pier to save him.
Both men struggled in the rough conditions and officers attempted to winch them to safety using a police helicopter, but they died in the water.
A specialist police diver involved in the operation swallowed a significant amount of water and was taken to hospital for treatment but has since returned home.
"It is preventable," Det Insp Nixon told reporters in Melbourne on Thursday.
"Do not go swimming or surfing in conditions like this when we know that it's going to be treacherous conditions.
"You put yourself at risk, you put people that jump in to help you at risk, you put the emergency services at risk."
Det Insp Nixon said a bystander contacted triple zero and it took about 15 minutes for the police helicopter to reach the scene.
The tragedy is a heartbreaking reminder of how unpredictable and dangerous surf conditions can be, Life Saving Victoria executive adviser Paul Shannon said.
"There's surfers who can go and ride waves that are as big as ten-storey buildings but if you're just a beginner surfer, it certainly wasn't a day to be out surfing," he said.
Mr Shannon said while bystanders may feel a "knee-jerk reaction" to try to save a loved one, they must also be aware of their own skills.
"This is just an absolute tragedy that could have been avoided, the fact that it's turned from one life to two lives," he said.
"We just need people in the community to understand the strength and forces of Mother Nature and some days you're better off just to stay at home indoors."
Victoria's State Emergency Service received about 1500 requests for assistance to on Wednesday, the majority for downed trees and building damage.
That included tin roofs ripped from houses and trees over roads, SES duty officer Grant Machell said.
"It was actually one of our most widespread wind events that we've had for a long time," Mr Machell told AAP.
Coastal areas copped the brunt of the wild winds, he said, but it was an unusual weather event as winds came from both the northwest and southwest.
"We were saying that wind gusts could be hitting around 110km and that's certainly enough to blow over people if they're not prepared for it," he said.
Wild weather hit much of the the nation's east coast on Wednesday, with scorching conditions in NSW easing by Thursday.
The mercury hit 37C in Sydney and 39C in Bankstown Airport.
"It does appear that records were set across much of the Sydney area for the highest temperatures recorded in October," the Bureau of Meteorology's Angus Hines said.
Heatwave warnings remain for Queensland and the Northern Territory.
