Victoria and parts of southern New South Wales have received more than their average December rainfall in two days but authorities say the worst of the weather has passed.
Flood warnings have been downgraded across Victoria and evacuation warnings lifted from some north-east towns as the steady rainfall that has dumped more than 200mm in some catchments gradually begins to ease.
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The severe weather warning was downgraded at 5am Sunday.
The town of Myrtleford in northeast Victoria was taken off evacuation watch on Sunday morning, although some low-lying areas remain on alert, with flooding in the Ovens and King catchments expected to peak just at or below minor flooding levels.
What a difference a day makes! The Seven Creeks in #Euroa yesterday and this morning #VicFloods @SkyNewsAust pic.twitter.com/rgTSoIFDiL
— Annelise Nielsen (@annelisenews) December 2, 2017
Creek Drive looking toward Kennedy St this morning.#Euroa #vicfloods pic.twitter.com/mRXakxxzoU
— Matt Mills (@MattMills007) December 2, 2017
There was flooding of low-lying areas and caravan parks in Euroa and low-lying areas on Wangaratta on Saturday, though no homes have been reported flooded.
The Ovens River at Wangaratta reached 10.5m on Saturday night and residents have been warned it could fall as far the moderate flood level of 2.4m on Sunday afternoon as floodwaters come downstream.
The State Emergency Service (SES) received more than 2,700 calls for assistance since Friday, including from an unfortunate Maserati driver whose car became stuck in a flooded underpass in Seddon, in Melbourne’s western suburbs, on Saturday.
You really have to wonder how the owner of this #Maserati made his money don't you? #vicfloods #vicstorm #melbournestorm pic.twitter.com/HZ3S7aYQmt
— Tony Featherstone (@TonyFez) December 2, 2017
The SES sent out text alerts warning people of the deluge and activated Victoria’s state control centre, used to manage significant natural disaster events.
SES spokesman Tim Weibusch said the level of response was justified.
“Look, we’ve certainly seen over 200mm of rain, you know, widespread area in the northeast,” he told ABC24 on Sunday. “We had some of those rivers peak at major flood levels yesterday. They reduced to moderate but a number of communities need to be alert.
“We have quite a lot of roads in north-east Victoria that have water across them. It is still a very risky environment, so we can’t appeal to people enough not to attempt to drive through floodwaters.”
Busy few days at SCC working with a terrific bunch of dedicated people from #WeWorkAsOne agencies.. helping prepare, inform & warn communities of the Big Wet.. supporting our amazing @vicsesnews vols ..another 50-60mm in eastern Melb overnight, 200mm+ so far in NE.. watch rivers pic.twitter.com/21VqSm6iwu
— Tim Wiebusch (@wiebusch_tim) December 2, 2017
The Bureau of Meteorology’s duty forecaster, Michael Halfpenny, said the worst of the weather was behind the state on Sunday morning, with falls of between 10mm and 20mm expected in the northeast and falls of up to 15mm forecast for the remainder of Sunday east of Melbourne.
Halfpenny said areas of central and northeast Victoria received 200mm rain in two days, while some Melbourne suburbs received 100mm.
The city itself received 65mm since Friday morning.
“We have certainly received more than the average for December in the first two days of the month,” Halfpenny told Guardian Australia.
Similar rainfalls were seen in southern NSW, with a minor flood warning issued for the Murray River upstream of Lake Hume, where 120mm fell over two days.
A flood watch was issued for central and southern NSW with between 46mm and 74mm falling in central districts in the 24 hours to 9am Sunday.
There will be scattered showers across NSW for Sunday, mainly in the southeastern parts of the state and north coast.
The east coast of NSW should prepare for a possible east coast low which could hit on Tuesday.
Such a weather event could see gale or storm force winds along the coast, widespread heavy rain, rough seas and dangerous surf.
“We’re seeing this trough off the NSW coast becoming an east coast low on Tuesday and Wednesday,” meteorologist Gabrielle Woodhouse told AAP on Sunday.
