Thunderstorms and hail as Melbourne’s eastern suburbs get month’s worth of rain

A month’s worth of rain has soaked some parts of Melbourne, just hours after heavy storms and hail battered the city. The SES is still helping mop the mess up after being inundated by calls for help as roads flooded and trees collapsed — this is where the most rain fell.

Parts of Melbourne’s east have recorded month’s worth of rain in less than 24 hours after thunderstorms crossed the city yesterday evening.

Visibility in the CBD was reduced to 400m while commuters making the dash home were met with large hail stones in some areas, including at Flinders Street train station and Docklands.

A severe thunderstorm warning was issued for heavy rainfall, large hail and damaging winds as a storm cell crossed the city from about 6.30pm.

Wow, that was unexpected! 😲 #melbweather #melbourneweather pic.twitter.com/KZuYyHOJ6U

— Davina Norman (@dovenorman) February 18, 2020

Well that’s looking quite spectacular! #melbourneweather #melbweather pic.twitter.com/aJF7rm3iPb

— Andrew B Watkins (@windjunky) February 18, 2020

#melbweather, yo. Can confirm: real ice, v cold. https://t.co/AwQfVg9SU1

— squidly 🦑 (@asmallsquid) February 18, 2020

The State Emergency Service responded to 450 calls for assistance across the state with the Malvern, Narre Warren and Morwell units kept busiest.

An SES spokesman said only 29 jobs were still outstanding this morning.

“The call outs were predominantly to the east with 180 building damage jobs, 115 for flood and 140 for trees down, with 90 of those causing a traffic hazard,” he said.

Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Richard Carlyon said most eastern areas had seen between 30-50mm of rainfall since 9am yesterday.

He said Ferny Creek in the Dandenong Ranges recorded the highest total with 53mm, while Viewbank also saw significant falls of 45mm and the city 35mm.

Storm moving through Moorabbin Airport. #melbweather #melbourneweather Gust to 106 km/h was observed at Fawkner Beacon, while visibility in the city was reduced to 400 metres. https://t.co/zSBzqMU9IN pic.twitter.com/SKcJGY9Pvi

— Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria (@BOM_Vic) February 18, 2020

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“Normally a month’s worth of rain in February is 45mm so some places have had a month’s worth in just under 24 hours,” Mr Carlyon said.

“The storms cleared away to the east by about 8pm and were replaced by widespread shower activity and strong south-easterly winds.”

He said showers would ease this morning with falls of 2-5mm predicted in the city and 10-20mm in the eastern suburbs.

Wind gusts of 106km/h were recorded in Port Phillip Bay about 6.30pm.

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Originally published as Thunderstorms and hail as Melbourne’s eastern suburbs get month’s worth of rain