By Lachlan Abbott and Michael Fowler
A thunderstorm rolled across Victoria’s west and through Melbourne on Tuesday, producing torrential rain, damaging winds, hailstones and power outages for over 28,000 homes.
The storm, which drenched regional centres including Ballarat, Stawell, Ararat and Hamilton, also caused delays at Melbourne Airport from about 3pm.
More wet and stormy weather is forecast for Melbourne and Victoria’s east on Wednesday, with up to 15 millimetres of rain predicted for the Yarra Valley and east Gippsland.
Wild storms hit the state on Tuesday afternoon.Credit: Joe Armao
The rain delayed the start of the Big Bash derby between the Melbourne Stars and Melbourne Renegades at the MCG, but it was due to begin shortly after the initial time of 7.15pm.
Almost 25 millimetres of rain fell in eight minutes on Tuesday in Coldstream, 35 kilometres north-east of Melbourne, with a total of 54 millimetres in just one hour. Large hailstones peppered Bendigo and winds hit 104km/h in Wangaratta, in northern Victoria.
The Bureau of Meteorology first issued a severe thunderstorm alert at 11.23am that covered a large swath of Victoria’s western district.
After a bright, sunny morning, Melbourne’s skies darkened when the storm moved over the western and northern suburbs, including the airport, before shifting southwards over the eastern suburbs at about 4.30pm.
Caught in the rain: Pedestrians on Bourke Street.Credit: Joe Armao
Powercor, which distributes electricity in western Victoria, reported it was trying to restore services to more than 28,000 customers.
More than 56,000 lightning strikes were recorded within 300 kilometres of Ballarat, where 13,000 customers took the brunt of the power outages.
“Thunderstorms have brought down trees and caused damage to parts of the network, while lightning has also impacted electricity infrastructure,” a Powercor spokesman said.
“Ballarat and surrounding communities are the hardest-hit areas … Other areas impacted include Hamilton, Ararat, Horsham, Maryborough and Geelong.”
Eversley, between Ararat and Avoca, recorded 20 millimetres of rain in 30 minutes.
Melbourne Airport spokesman Andrew Lund said flights and baggage handling were delayed from 3pm because ground staff cannot work when there is lightning within five kilometres. He recommended passengers check specific delay times with airlines.
Replacement buses were scheduled between Broadmeadows and Craigieburn train stations in Melbourne’s north after a lightning strike affected train equipment.
And on the Hume Freeway, cars were stuck in queues for up to an hour after a truck collided with a power pole near Donnybrook Road on Melbourne’s northern fringe, bringing down powerlines and triggering a fuel leakage from the truck. The freeway was closed north-bound from about 4.30pm.
The State Emergency Service received 502 calls for assistance in the 24 hours up to 5pm on Tuesday, including 153 for flooding, 174 for fallen trees and 115 for building damage. The majority were in the Grampians and Loddon Mallee, in Victoria’s west.
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