Victorians have been warned that the worst of the freak weather system hitting the state is yet to come, as evacuation begins in parts of the waterlogged state.
Emergency services have called for Euroa residents to evacuate immediately, while residents in Myrtleford and Riverine in north-east Victoria have been told to prepare to evacuate.
‘The forecasted rain for Saturday is in the hundreds of millimetres. It could go as far as 250mm in the northeast,’ Services Commissioner Craig Lapsley warned on Saturday morning.
Flash flood warnings have been issued for at least a dozen Melbourne suburbs affected by overflow from the Seven & Castle Creeks and Ovens & King Rivers.
Melbourne residents took to social media to share photos of their flooded neighbourhoods
Victoria will be lashed with three months-worth of rainfall in just two days over the weekend
Melbourne and large parts of Victoria have descended into chaos as storms smash the state
At least 40mm of rain is expected to hit Melbourne and surrounding areas on Friday night after the ‘once in a generation’ storm struck on Friday afternoon, causing flash flooding and power outages.
So far there have been more than 800 calls for assistance amid rising floodwaters in several Melbourne suburbs, according to news.com.au.
Numerous roads have been closed including the Goulburn Valley Highway between Yea and Yark, the Hume Freeway southbound between Benalla and Euroa and the Monash Freeway entry ramp outbound from Princes Highway.
People living on Harris Lane and Wallace Drive in Buckland the state’s north-east were told to evacuate Friday evening, with nearby bridges expected to become ‘impassable’.
The heaviest rain in the area so far is over the Strathbogie Ranges in north-eastern Victoria – Mt Wombat recorded 123mm by 10pm on Friday evening.
The Great Victoria Bike Ride is the latest casualty of the mega storm with event organisers announcing the annual race will be abandoned.
At least 40mm of rain is expected to soak Melbourne and the surrounding areas on Friday
Areas outside the city proper were also pelted with rain, and large hailstones could be next
Due to the worsening weather conditions and reassignment of police officers to Melbourne, Bicycle Network said they were forced to halt the ride late on Friday evening and not continue onto Glengarry on Saturday morning as planned.
More than 1,500 riders remain stranded at a Maffra campsite this evening with plans to transport the group back to Melbourne and Trafalgar over the weekend.
Bicycle Network CEO Craig Richards said they were committed to the safety of their riders and organisers.
‘We’re very disappointed that we can’t continue riding but the wellbeing of our riders, volunteers and wider team always comes first,’ Mr Richards said.
Residents in the Myrtleford, Riverine and Upper Yarra area have been told to prepare to evacuate as floodwaters continue to rise.
Lanes and alleys in some Melbourne suburbs resembled streams as they filled with rainwater
Roads have been closed, public transport has shut down and people are stranded in their homes and offices throughout the CBD, with some areas almost completely submerged
‘Minor flooding in the Yarra/Watts River catchment is expected to affect low-lying areas adjacent to the waterway including bicycle paths,’ a warning from Victoria Emergency said.
Peak water levels are expected late on Friday morning.
‘The Yarra River catchment has received rainfall averaging about 41 mm in the Upper Yarra region and about 25 mm in the Lower Yarra region since 09:00 AM yesterday. Rainfall totals of 20 to 60 mm have been forecast for the catchment tomorrow.’
Victorians were warned the storm, which is expected to deliver three months of rain by Sunday
A relief centre has been set up at the Myrtleford Senior Citizens Centre, the safest evacuation route along the Great Alpine Road (pictured is a motorist driving through deep floodwaters)
At 3am on Friday morning, the Goulburn river began to flood, following a Yarra River flood warning issued just after 1am.
Farmers have been warned that many of the state’s crops are at risk of being ‘wiped out’, despite some farmers working all through Wednesday and Thuesday night to harvest ahead of the extreme weather.
‘We copped about 40mm of rain in the north Wimmera region, but it has been reasonably windy today which has helped dry out the crops,’ Victorian Farmer’s Federation grain group president Ross Johns said.
He said some farmers had started shearing sheep in a bid to offset the long-term problems like fly strike.
‘I think people will probably be looking to the forecast overnight and hope it goes somewhere else,’ he said. ‘Rainfall in Australia is always good but sometimes it just isn’t convenient.’
People living or working along rivers and streams were last night advised to monitor the latest weather forecasts and warnings.
The freak storm – delivering three months of rain in just three days – left many streets flooded
The four day forecast shows heavy rain expected in much of Victoria and into southern NSW
This creek at Moonee Ponds was full to the brink, but the ducks did not seem to mind the floods
Residents were told to take action immediately to protect themselves, gathering essential medicines, documents, mementos and pets before they left.
The evacuation warning, issued on Friday night, said people should leave by 1.30am.
‘If you do not evacuate before this time, your property may be isolated or inundated and it may be too late to leave,’ the warning says.
The warning also suggested people have three days supply of clothing with them and to contact neighbours if possible to make them aware.
A ‘Watch and Act’ warning was also issued for low-lying areas in Myrtleford, with VicEmergency stating ‘leaving early is always the safest option’.
‘Floodwaters may rise rapidly, if you wait until tomorrow morning, it may be too late to leave safely.’
Victorians were warned the storm – which is expected to deliver three months of rain by Sunday – could worsen as it progressed, with large hailstones on the way.
By 9pm on Friday, major flood warnings were issued across the state including in Wangaratta, the Ovens and King Rivers.
More than a dozen people were injured in the lead up to the ‘life-threatening’ thunderstorms
More rain is forecast for Saturday, as Melbourne braces for three months of rain in three days
People in low lying areas around Myrtleford in Victoria’s alpine region were told to prepare to evacuate as floodwaters caused by unprecedented rain continue to rise.
A relief centre has been set up at the Myrtleford Senior Citizens Centre, the safest evacuation route along the Great Alpine Road.
Emergency Services Commissioner Craig Lapsley at a briefing on Friday reminded said the worst of the rain was yet to come and widespread flooding across the state was expected.
‘We’re not out of it. It hasn’t necessarily been across the state yet but it’s coming and the bureau has been very clear in their forecast,’ Mr Lapsley said
‘The forecasted rain for Saturday is in the hundreds of millimetres. It could go as far as 250mm in the northeast.’
Amid the warnings, an elderly couple became trapped in their car in floodwaters near Seymour on Friday night, rescued by a farmer in a tractor who plucked them to safety.
Calls to the SES are flooding in with almost 1000 calls for assistance to 9pm on Friday night, most for minor flooding and trees down.
Premier Daniel Andrews warned Victorians not to become complacent and to check on neighbours and loved ones with more heavy falls to come.
The Bureau of Meteorology earlier warned that lives were at serious risk because of the deluge
This pair of pooches got soaked while walking with their owner in the Melbourne downpour
‘With some common sense and looking out for each other, I know Victorians will get through this very difficult period,’ Mr Andrews said on Friday afternoon, as he urged people to leave work early.
The Bureau of Meteorology maintains a forecast for up to 250mm of rain at some centres on Saturday, meaning the December average would be swamped in the first two days of the month.
The premier has been on the phone to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who has offered the state federal assistance should it be needed.
Authorities are warning Melburnians to be vigilant, particularly near Elwood canal, which was about to breach on Friday and will likely flood homes.
Roads were closed in Melbourne throughout the day, while train lines shut and people were left stranded in homes and offices as areas became submerged.
A rain event of this forecasted magnitude hasn’t been seen in metropolitan Melbourne since 2005 and in regional Victoria since 2010 (bigger than the above storm, from earlier this year)
Dark and ominous rain clouds started forming in Victoria early on Friday morning (pictured)
A ‘once-in-a-generation’ storm which could threaten lives, flood rivers, turn farms into lakes and cause major flash flooding in Melbourne started soaking Victoria late on Friday afternoon
Around 100mm of rainfall saturated Melbourne, while regional areas of Victoria were drenched under as much as 300mm.
Businesses in areas including St Kilda, Carlton, Caufield and Heidelberg have sandbagged their properties as looming waters continue to rise. People have been seen taking bags from Middle Park Beach.
Flinders Street Station even had sand protecting underground stairways, and sandbags are available at a variety of locations around the state.
The Monash freeway has seen two lanes close due to flooding and roads into the airport have been bumper-to-bumper, resulting in flights around the country being cancelled.
‘This is an event of absolute massive scale, half the inhabitants of Melbourne have never ever seen anything like this ‘ senior meteorologist Scott Williams said on Thursday.
‘It is an event that poses a threat to life. There will be a massive amount of lightning, there will be roads cut and flood waters.’
Bureau of Meteorology also issued a severe weather warning for southern New South Wales
Victoria, as well as southern and eastern New South Wales are expecting some heavy rainfall