Wind, rain and hail damages crops in Victoria’s wild weather

Hail, rain and strong winds have damaged crops in Victoria and South Australia overnight. See which areas were most affected.

Strong winds, rain and hail hit Victorian crops overnight, with the heaviest damage reported in the west and southwest of the state.

Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Jonathan How said the most intense storms hit the Mallee and Wimmera in the state’s west late afternoon on Thursday, with isolated reports of hail.

West Wimmera grain, hay and sheep farmer Rob Bell posted photos to Twitter of hail that damaged one of his blocks.

Look at this little hail storm that dropped in on us today, a few dents in a Ute, and a bit of crop damage. Very isolated, only got one of our blocks. 😡 pic.twitter.com/aTg5RpdeTe

— Rob Bell (@RobertB09978346) October 28, 2021

The heaviest rain fell in the southwest of the state, with the highest total recorded at Gerrigerrup, south east of Hamilton.

Portland and Warrnambool recorded totals up to 50mm, while Casterton and Dartmoor recorded their highest daily October rainfall totals in a decade.

Victorian Farmers Federation grains group’s Russell Hocking said last night’s rain was bad news for hay growers and there was “certainly some weather-damaged hay around”.

“The hay season is really in the balance at the minute as far as weather damage goes,” he said.

Each rain event can drop hay quality by 10 to 20 per cent once it is cut, he said, and some crops were already sitting at about 50 per cent quality after heavy rainfall over the last few weeks.

“Each little rain event makes it worse. Eventually it get to the point where it’s almost unsaleable,” he said.

Mr How said the storm front formed along the Flinders Ranges, north of Adelaide in South Australia, before tracking down through the Riverland and across the border into the Mallee.

South Australian growers have reported damage to crops, with isolated hail across the state.

This afternoon was flat out checking clients crops. There’s good bad and ugly. Hail is a real pain in the A#S 10-60% 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/G12SsIA90o

— David Miegel (@davemieg) October 28, 2021

A great friend took over his old mans farm when I was in Aus here’s how he’s gone so far:

Season 1- bumper crop 👌🏼
Season 2- bumper crop- nailed by frost
Season 3- colossal crop- nailed by hail today. Weeks off harvest 💔

We don’t appreciate how easy we have it in the UK pic.twitter.com/bKl6Wozarx

— Highland Agri - Ryan (@AgriHighland) October 28, 2021

State Emergency Services attended to hundreds of call-outs on Thursday and Friday after strong winds downed trees across the state.

Crops were hit by widespread gusts of 90 to 110km/hr across the west and south west of Victoria, with Mt William in the Grampians picking up the highest wind gusts in the state this morning at 143 km/hr.