MORE than 200 schools and 146 child centres will close tomorrow as Victoria prepares for a scorcher tomorrow. 

Schools and kindergartens in high risk fire areas including the Otways, Grampians, Mallee, Gippsland and Yarra Valley will close amid concerns for student safety, The HeraldSun reports.

One hundred and ninety government schools, 178 kindergatens and child care centres, 16 Catholic schools and at least 17 non-catholic private schools will close tomorrow as the bushfire risk increases.

The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development cited travel safety concerns, possible water contamination and the threat of continuing or new fires as reasons for the closures.

The CFA has declared a day of total fire ban across Victoria tomorrow with temperatures expected to hit 40C in some parts of the state with the fire danger heightened by strong northerly winds.

A southwesterly change and dry lightning strikes will hit in the early evening. 

Liberal education spokesman Martin Dixon said the Government had failed to give schools enough notice about the closures.

"It will be terribly disruptive, it's a shocking way of doing it," he said.

Mr Dixon said schools should have been warned days ago that they might close so that parents could make alternative arrangements of child minding.

"It's a last minute reaction. There should be a proper procedure that parents and everyone is aware of."

Authorities are urging Victorians to put their fire plans for tomorrow in place now.

As well as the school closures, Parks Victoria will close visitor sites in national parks with a high fire risk and in parks where fire is already burning.

The closures include sites in Wilsons Promontory, the Otways, Baw Baw National Park, Maroondah Reservoir Park, Bunyip State Park, Sugarloaf Reservoir Park, Kinglake National Park and Walhalla Historic Areas

Chief executive Mark Stone advised the community to defer all non-essential travel to bushland areas tomorrow.

“We ask all Victorians to be aware of the safety issues throughout this fire season. This also includes the risk of heat stress, falling trees in strong winds and water safety when visiting the coasts, rivers and lakes,” he said.

“We urge park visitors to please review their plans to visit bushland and park areas this Friday.”

Read more on The HeraldSun online.