More rain, damaging winds, thunderstorms to hit Victoria

A new cold front is set to sweep across Victoria bringing rain, damaging winds and thunderstorms, but those reeling from deadly storms two weeks ago should be spared.

Storms are set to sweep across Victoria again this week but those still reeling from the deadly weather event two weeks ago will be spared most of the impact.

Rain, damaging winds and thunderstorms will develop over the state from Wednesday as a cold front moves in.

The weather bureau said some flooding was possible but it wouldn’t be in the regions affected by severe storms on June 9 and 10.

Senior meteorologist Matthew Thomas said northerly winds would increase throughout Wednesday with gusts of 60 to 70km/h in the central highlands, rising to 90km/h in the alpine regions.

A severe weather warning has been issued for damaging winds for parts of East Gippsland, northeast Victoria and west and south Gippsland, with locations likely to be affected including Mt Baw Baw, Falls Creek, Mt Hotham and Mt Buller.

Braeden Tairi, his wife Bri and their baby boy Levi had a near-death experience at their home in Kalorama during the recent storms. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Wayne Taylor

Flooding in Traralgon during the recent storm event. Picture: David Caird

Mr Thomas said there would rain across most of the state from Wednesday to Friday, with the heaviest totals in the northeast and the western regions of Friday.

Fortunately, Gippsland, which has been hit by major flooding over the passed fortnight will be spared of most of the rain with less that 5mm expected across the three days.

“No, we don’t see any impacts that will have an affect on the river rises, and the winds also don’t look like they will impact on Gippsland,” Mr Thomas said.

“There is a chance in west and south Gippsland on Thursday that there might be an isolated thunderstorm pushing through during the afternoon but that shouldn’t have terribly much of an impact.”

Severe storms brought down trees in the Dandenong Ranges. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Wayne Taylor

The defence force preparing generators and equipment for clean up of the storms in the Dandenongs. Picture: Alex Coppel.

But the northeast could see some minor flooding develop over the next three days.

“It’s expected the northeast river catchments will see river rises on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and it’s possible some of those rivers, such as the Kiewa River, might go into minor flood during those days,” Mr Thomas said.

He said the minor flood warning for the Latrobe River in Gippsland was expected to be lifted over the next few days bringing some welcome relief for residents as the recover from major floods in the region.

About 1400 homes in the Dandenong Ranges in Melbourne outer east remain without power almost two weeks on from the devastating storm event.

Mr Thomas said thunderstorms were most likely in northern Victoria on Thursday and Friday but there was a chance they could move over the eastern suburbs of Melbourne and west and south Gippsland during Thursday afternoon.

About 15mm to 25mm of rain has been forecast across the three days in the north and west of the state and 5mm to 10mm in Melbourne.

Mr Thomas said isolated totals of 100mm were possible in the northeast ranges that would likely fall as snow on the higher peaks.

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