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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Melissa Davey

As it happened: Melbourne storm, tornado and heavy rain hits Victoria – live weather updates

Punters try to take shelter as a massive storm hits Flemington racecourse in Melbourne on Thursday.
Punters try to take shelter as a massive storm hits Flemington racecourse in Melbourne on Thursday. Photograph: David Crosling/AAP

Summary

Well, that was bizarre. To recap, the Bureau of Meteorology in Victoria issued a tornado warning just after 2pm, saying they had received reports of tornadoes hitting the northern suburbs between 1.30pm and 2pm.

However, by 3.15pm, the tornado warning was cancelled, and any existing tornadoes had dissipated. In the meantime, a short but severe storm hit Melbourne’s CBD, causing flash-flooding and disrupting tram services.

Severe weather warnings remain in place, as the bureau continues to monitor storms in the north and northwest metro areas. Central and northern Victoria are also experiencing severe weather.

And outside my window in the heart of the CBD, all is sunny again and it’s like the storm never happened. The sudden shift from stormy to sunny left Melburnians bemused, but at least the commute home will be dry.

And some bad news...

Some good news;

I’ve just spoken to Michael Efron, the duty forecaster at BOM Victoria, for an update.

He confirmed that the bureau received three separate reports of tornadoes in the outer northern suburbs, but it was unclear as to whether there were three separate tornadoes or people reporting the same tornado.

While some people on Twitter described what they saw as a ‘mini tornado,’ Efron disagrees. The bureau was sent photos and footage.

“There was nothing mini about them,” he said.

“We’re still monitoring the activity.”

However, the tornado/es were no longer active, and the warning of further tornadoes has been cancelled.

While the storm had passed through the CBD, severe weather warnings remain in place for all districts except Gippsland, in the south-east. Heavy rain, potentially leading to flash flooding, was affecting central and northern Victoria, Efron said. The outer south-eastern suburbs were also being hit.

The drama in the city may have ended but central and eastern Victoria are now copping the severe weather. BOM are back with their handy red arrows.

It’s hard to describe just how quickly the weather turned here in the CBD.

One second, the roads were flooding, rain was falling heavily and the skies were dark grey. Then, abruptly, it stopped and the sun came out, leaving some people very confused - despite the city being renowned for its ‘four seasons in one day’. We should really be used to this by now.

Dominique has it sorted.

It’s going to be a tough commute home for some.

And just as quickly as it began, it ended. The tornado warning has been cancelled. Still, multiple tornadoes have been reported from around the state in the last hour or so.

Or is this just the eye of the storm?

Updated

The ABC’s weather guru, Graham Creed, is giving an update.

The storms affecting Victoria are a result of the same weather system that caused havoc in South Australia on Wednesday, he says.

Victoria has recorded over 160 tornadoes since recording first began, so it’s not a rare event, he says. The storms will ease over the next 12-24 hours, and Queensland might get some of the bad weather tomorrow.

“It’s really quite significant, the thunderstorms developing not only in Victoria but all the eastern states,” he told ABC News 24.

“It was actually this band of thunderstorms that trigged a tornado in the Tullamarine area [where Melbourne’s main airport is located]. We still have much of Melbourne and Victoria under a series thunderstorm warning at the moment.”

Here’s some footage of a mini tornado captured by a Victorian farmer.

It’s okay guys. I’ll be fine.

For those just joining us tornadoes [yes, with an ‘es’] are hitting the Melbourne area and it’s bad timing for those attending Oaks Day, the traditional ‘Ladies Day’ at Flemington as part of the Melbourne Cup carnival. It looks like the rain and winds have ruined it.

Except for this lady, who saw the rains as an opportunity to free herself from her heels and fascinator and run, carefree, from it all.

The staff at the Bureau of Meteorology live for this stuff. They are currently having a lot of fun captioning satellite weather images with WARNINGS IN CAPSLOCK RED and large arrows. Thanks BOM Victoria, keep it coming.

The winds are getting gusty.

The pics are coming in fast on Twitter. Of all the days to forget my umbrella...

Such ominous skies.

So very, very ominous.

The storm front has hit the Melbourne CBD. The city is mostly experiencing heavy rain and strong winds, and it doesn’t look good for those on flights.

To check for flight delays, visit Flightradar24.

Affected areas are also showing up on the Emergency Australia Twitter list.

Melissa Davey here reporting from Melbourne, where a tornado warning has been issued. Destructive winds, hailstones and heavy rainfall is already hitting Port Phillip, the Mornington Peninsula, Geelong, and Bellarine Peninsula.

Tornadoes have already been reported in the Craigeburn, Campbellfied and Tullamarine areas.

The Bureau of Meteorology said that from 1.50 pm, very dangerous thunderstorms were detected on weather radar near Bulla. The thunderstorms are moving towards the south. “Very dangerous” thunderstorms are also forecast to affect Melbourne airport, St Albans, Sydenham and Williamstown by 2:20 pm, the Bureau warned, and northern Port Phillip Bay, waters off Brighton beach, waters off Point Cook and waters off Sandringham by 2:50 pm.

Destructive winds, heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding, large hailstones and tornadoes are likely, the BOM warned.

The State Emergency Service has warned people should

  • keep clear of fallen powerlines
  • secure any loose objects around the home
  • keep away from creeks and drains
  • do not drive vehicles through flooded areas
  • stay indoors if possible
  • avoid using the phone during the storm.
  • if you are outside, avoid sheltering under trees
  • listen to the radio for storm updates
  • switch off your computer and electrical appliance
  • keep clear of fallen power lines.

The next warning is due to be issued by 3:05 pm.

A more general severe thunderstorm warning is also current for the Central, Northern Country, North Central, North East and parts of the Mallee, South West, West and South Gippsland and Wimmera districts.

Updated

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