Victorian storm: Thousands of Australians warned to prepare for heavy rain, damaging winds

Parts of Australia have been warned to prepare for an impending ‘significant rain event’ that will bring torrential rain, flash flooding, thunderstorms and dangerous winds, the weather office says.

‘Severe thunderstorms’ and up to 100mm of rain is expected to strike central and northern Victoria on Wednesday evening and Thursday while wind gusts could hit 100 kilometres an hour in places,.

Residents in Tasmania are also on alert with a warning for ‘intense rainfall and damaging winds’ right across the state’s north from late on Wednesday into the following day.

The southern-most state could see rainfall of up to 120mm on Thursday and up to 200mm at higher altitudes.

The weather office warned this could mean ‘dangerous and life-threatening flooding’ and landslides for inland parts of north-west Tasmania.

Parts of Australia have been warned to prepare for an impending ‘significant rain event’ that will bring torrential rain, flash flooding, thunderstorms and dangerous winds

Large parts of Victoria and Tasmania have been warned about potential ‘life-threatening flooding’ in the next two days

Mildura, in Victoria’s north, could be one of the hardest hit, with torrential rain from Wednesday evening continuing on for much of the following 24 hours. 

The Mildura SES issued an urgent warning for local drivers not to attempt driving across flooded roads, and to reconsider the need to drive at all, while the Murray River has come under a flood warning.

Several rivers are expected to flood, including the Campaspe River at Rochester and Elmore, which could rise nine metres and threaten up to 700 homes at Rochester by Saturday.

A significant rain event is due to hammer Victoria and Tasmania from Wednesday evening and for much of Thursday

Much of northern Tasmania is expected to see ‘intense’ rainfall on Wednesday and Thursday which could mean ‘life-threatening flooding’

Locals prepared by sandbagging hundreds of homes and the Rochester SES warned it expects the town to be evacuated by Friday.

‘It’s predicted the town of Rochester gets cut in half and gets almost landlocked,’ Rochester SES member Judith Gledhill told the ABC.

‘It’s important for people to leave before the peak arrives.’

Moderate flood warnings were also issued for the Murray and Loddon rivers and minor flood warnings are in place for the Avoca, Kiewa and Snowy rivers.

People have already been evacuated from the state’s north-east in the alpine region.

The evacuation warning is for Falls Creek and Bogong Village because of a ‘slow-moving active landslide’ on the Bogong High Plains Road above the village.

A severe thunderstorm warning was issued on Wednesday afternoon for ‘slow-moving’ storms in Victoria’s west, south of Horsham, and around Halls Gap.  

A landslide has occurred on the Bogong-High Plains Road at Bogong Village in Victoria’s alpine region leading to an evacuation warning

Heavy rain is expected in Melbourne from Wednesday evening with up to 50mm due to fall in the city on Thursday.

Meanwhile across the country, Western Australia’s north is facing an extreme fire danger warning.

‘Dry conditions combined with moderate to fresh southeast to southwest winds will cause extreme fire dangers in the far west Pilbara on Wednesday.’