Severe storms in eastern Victoria as flood clean-up begins
Melbourne has copped another soaking of rain, as CBD workers clock off for the working week. Here’s how the weather will look later tonight and tomorrow. LATEST
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Melbourne has copped another soaking of rain, as CBD workers end the working week.
Heavy rain, lightning and thunder rolled through the city about 5pm, with persistant rain expected to continue into the evening.
Severe thunderstorms are also expected to hit eastern Victoria this afternoon, with heavy rains predicted for the Otway Coast and south Gippsland causing concern for authorities.
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However today’s rainfall will be less than yesterday’s deluge, which dumped more than a month’s worth of rain across the state including Melbourne and Wangaratta.
The Otway Coast and Ranges, and south and far east Gippsland, could still end up with falls today of up to 50mm, possibly more if severe thunderstorms develop as expected.
Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Peter Newham said that in parts of the state’s south, only 20 to 30mm of rain would be needed to cause flash floods because of yesterday’s downpour.
“The risk period is from about sunrise throughout the day,” he said.
Melbourne has seen less rain overnight but a band of wet weather sweeping from the eastern ranges towards the city brought more rain this morning, with Sunbury recording 11mm since 9am today.
🌩ï¸Today's Thunderstorm outlook!ðŸŒ©ï¸ A low east of Mildura is drawing moist air in from the east, posing a threat for thunderstorms this afternoon & tonight. Large hail, heavy rainfall & damaging winds are all possible, especially in the east. Warnings: https://t.co/VdkiZhNUvd pic.twitter.com/02wZEgbLuG
— Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria (@BOM_Vic) December 14, 2018
Eldorado, near Wangaratta, recorded the state’s highest rainfall over the past two days with 201mm.
Everton, in the state’s northeast, received 181mm and Birchip, in the state’s northwest, recorded 168mm over the same time.
Minor flooding could occur today as rivers statewide swell from the downpour.
A severe heavy rain warning remains in force for parts of Gippsland, but the affected region has been reduced today.
âš ï¸Latest update of the SEVERE WEATHER WARNING for heavy rainfall. The northeast ranges have been removed from the warning, however severe thunderstorms may still develop later today. Check latest forecasts and warnings for #Victoria at: https://t.co/mUbGJfcDEY pic.twitter.com/v1xYt03Psg
— Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria (@BOM_Vic) December 14, 2018
In Melbourne, the CBD recorded more than 32mm of rain yesterday.
“(Today) rainfalls are not as extreme as the rain we saw yesterday, that resulted in flash flooding,” Mr Newham said.
“We’re forecasting between five and 20mm across Melbourne today, most of which will be in the morning. That’s a soaking of rain but not necessarily leading to flash flooding.”
In the 26 hours until 7am today, Carboor Upper received 148mm of rain and Wangaratta Airport recorded 80mm.
That’s more than a month’s worth of rain for those areas.
The torrential rain has been linked to Cyclone Owen, which has smashed northern Australia.
The Severe Weather Warning has been updated. Heavy rain and flash flooding is now mostly likely to occur about the northeast ranges, the Otways, in south Gippsland and over far east Gippsland. Monitor the #VicWeather radar here: https://t.co/NtIZHTefPF pic.twitter.com/LrZPCC2y6d
— Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria (@BOM_Vic) December 13, 2018
MALLEE TOWN ‘BIG FOCUS’ FOR SES TODAY
Ten people were evacuated overnight from Birchip, in Victoria’s northwest, with several homes isolated by the flood waters.
More than 85mm of rain has fallen over the past 12 hours in the small Mallee-region town, 300km from Melbourne, as emergency services warn residents to brace for the deluge to continue today.
SES Commander David Tucek said the town would be a “big focus” for crews.
In the past 48 hours to midday today, the SES has received more than 640 calls for help across Victoria, including 27 rescues.
The most calls were from Wangaratta, with 82, and Wodonga with 47.
In the state’s northeast, yesterday’s downpour triggered flash flooding that stranded cars and dumped two months’ rain on towns in hours.
More than 120 motorists became stuck on the Hume Freeway. A helicopter had to winch 17 of them to safety after they became trapped by the sudden deluge near Wangaratta.
The Hume Freeway will remain closed in both directions, possibly as late as Saturday night, between Barnawartha and Benalla.
‘GET ON THE ROOF OF THE TRUCK’: HOW THE HUME FWY FLOODED
On the Hume Freeway near Wangaratta, truck driver Taylor McPhail, his niece, Destiny McPhail, and his brother-in-law, Hunter Calvene, were among the 17 people winched to safety.
Mr McPhail and his passengers, both 16, had to climb on the roof of his van.
He said the water had reached a depth of about 1m and was coming through the van floor.
“We had to get onto the roof of the truck, just opened the door and climbed up,” the 28-year-old said.
“It was too deep. It was probably getting close to about 1m deep.
“If it rose more we probably would have floated.”
Mr McPhail said about 250 cars were stranded along a 3-4km stretch of the freeway, the main road link between Melbourne and Sydney, just north of Wangaratta.
“A couple of smaller cars like hatchbacks floated away,” he said, after being winched to safety.
“I think the truck’s wrecked too. It’s got water through the cab. It was high enough to get into the cab.”
One driver, Dave Lloyd, said he battled “insane” rain and flood waters on the way from Melbourne to Wodonga.
“We actually joked to our boss that he might have to book us a motel for the night,” Mr Lloyd said.
“The Sydney-bound road was flooded and there must’ve been 200-plus vehicles stuck.”
CARS STOPPED IN THEIR TRACKS: “I’VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS”
Avid fisherman Robbie Alexander set out on a day trip from Wangaratta about 9am on Thursday but encountered water long before he reached his favourite fishing spot in Beechworth.
He and his wife Lauretta Alexander were half an hour into the drive in their 4WD when they hit floodwaters at Tarrawingee.
“On the road, it was a couple of feet deep in water,” Mr Alexander said.
“We just didn’t expect so much to come so quickly. It happened quick.”
The rising water stopped them in their tracks and was unlike anything they had encountered before.
“It was high dirty water. It was a coffee colour,” he said.
“There was a lot of rubbish washed up in it.
“I’ve lived here for 44 years but I’ve never seen anything like this.”
The pair turned around after they hit the flood but their disaster day wasn’t over, getting bogged beside the road on their way home.
“It didn’t quite pan out the way it was supposed to,” Mr Alexander said.
The fisherman’s father was also hit by the flooding and had to be saved by boat from his car on the Hume.
State Emergency Service chief operations officer Tim Wiebusch said rescued motorists were taken by bus to the Wangaratta relief centre. Relief centres were also set up in Wodonga and Chiltern.
The SES had more than 463 calls, including 100 for leaking roofs and flooding. Many calls were from Wangaratta, Wodonga and Beechworth.
“Wangaratta was the hardest hit with 75 calls,” spokesman Matt Gallant told the Herald Sun.
“The majority of the calls were for flooding and also building damage as a result of the flash flooding and heavy rain.”
Mr Wiebusch said drivers must heed warnings to stay clear of floodwater.
“Yet again, we’ve seen 17 people having to be rescued,” he said.
“People have chosen, foolishly, to try to drive through that floodwater.”
TWO MONTHS’ RAIN IN 12 HOURS
In parts of the northeast, December rain records were broken.
Weather bureau senior forecaster Rod Dixon said towns near Wangaratta had the equal of two months’ rain in less than 12 hours: Everton had 162mm, Eldorado 110mm.
He said the worst of the wet weather had passed in the northeast.
Melbourne is in store for 10-20mm of rain today, with the chance of a thunderstorm.
Melbourne’s average rainfall for December is 59mm.
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Melbourne was also smashed by heavy rain on Thursday, with more than 32mm recorded in the CBD, 35.4mm at the airport and 47.8mm in Sandringham.
Keilor recorded 43mm between midnight and about midday, Sunbury 39mm and Altona 38mm.
The city’s average rainfall for the entire month of December is 59mm.
Montague St under the Westgate was hit with flash flooding, with a serious crash closing the Nepean Highway at Mount Martha.
On the Peninsula, a truck became stuck on a collapsed corner of road in Dromana.
Two left hand lanes were closed on the Ring Road near Plenty Rd due to flooding, with the speed reduced to 60km/h in the area.
Flooding was also reported at Victoria St in Footscray; Maribyrnong Rd in Maribyrnong; and outbound traffic on the Westgate near Williamstown Rd.
A huge tree fell onto the road near Flagstaff Station, delaying traffic in the area.
Keilor in northwest Melbourne received about 14mm within the space of about half an hour early on Thursday, Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Dean Stewart said.
Coldstream northeast of the city copped more than 20mm within an hour.
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