Pleas for help as Victoria hit by floods

Emergency services received more than 500 calls for help as a huge storm dumped a month’s worth of rain on Victoria in less than 12 hours.

A Mercedes is swamped in South Melbourne on Friday. Picture: David Crosling

Emergency services received more than 500 calls for help as a huge storm dumped a month’s worth of rain on Victoria in less than 12 hours, bringing parts of the state to a standstill.

And there was more to come, with the Bureau of Meteorology issuing severe thunderstorm warnings for the Mallee and Wimmera regions. Locals were warned that rivers could burst their banks and were advised to have evacuation plans in place.

“We need residents of low-lying areas to monitor conditions and have their flood plan in place,” said Josh Gamble of Victoria’s State Emergency Service.

A shop worker tries to keep the waters at bay in Ormond. Picture: Wayne Taylor

Three people had to be rescued after they became stuck in floodwaters, two of whom while ­attempting to drive through water covering the road.

With parts of Melbourne under water, an SES spokeswoman said there had been 506 calls for assistance, 208 related to flooding and 188 for damage to buildings.

Weather bureau senior meteorologist Dean Narramore told the Herald Sun that Victoria had “copped a drenching”.

He said there had been widespread falls of 50mm, with Blue Mountain in the south of the state recording 78mm, followed by ­Navarr with 76mm and Yandoite with 71mm. “Melbourne metro itself has seen 40mm in four hours and the month’s average for January is 47mm,” Mr Narramore said.

“Many locations, not only in Melbourne, but right across western and central Victoria, have had a month’s worth of rain in less than six to 12 hours.

“That rain is continuing to move towards the east with falls continuing in the 20 to 40mm range.”

A koala at Healesville Sanctuary. Picture: David Caird

A Bureau of Meteorology spokeswoman said the impact was widespread, with a high volume of calls for help from Bendigo, as well as from the Melbourne suburbs of Melton, Northcote and Wyndham.

Mr Narramore said parts of NSW had also taken a drenching.

“They recorded 126mm in Condobolin (on Friday) and widespread rain through the Central West area,” he said.

While the east coast experienced heavy falls, Western Australia was experiencing a record-breaking summer, with temperatures in the high 30Cs forecasted for the weekend and next week. “They’re on track for a very hot summer,” he said.