Victoria heavy rainfall and flooding

Heavy rainfall and flash flooding impacted Victoria, Australia, starting with a massive torrential downpour in Melbourne. The Bureau of Meteorology reported significant rainfall, including 47.8 millimetres at Melbourne Olympic Park in a single hour, leading to the Victorian State Emergency Service responding to approximately 200 calls for assistance. These incidents included emergency rescues of individuals trapped in vehicles and reports of building damage and fallen trees.

The weather event expanded into record-breaking spring rainfall across the state. The Mount Cowley weather station recorded 192 millimetres over 72 hours, the highest in Victoria, while other areas like Cowwarr Weir and Briagolong also saw significant totals. VicEmergency issued warnings regarding “dangerous” conditions near the Thompson River in Gippsland, where the region remained under a watch-and-act level due to potential major flooding. While riverbanks swelled and roads experienced flash flooding, forecasts indicated a period of relatively dry conditions would follow.