Emergency authorities are warning Victorians to avoid unnecessary travel overnight, with damaging wind gusts expected to bring down trees and keep SES volunteers busy from Sunday afternoon.
Damaging winds with peak gusts of 100km/h are expected to hit central Victoria and metropolitan Melbourne from late Sunday afternoon.
Victoria’s coastal communities will be on high alert, as peak gusts of up to 130km/h are forecast for areas stretching from the South Australian border to the Bellarine Peninsula, as well as Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs, Mornington Peninsula and Wilsons Promontory.
High winds are also expected over Victoria’s north-eastern ranges.
Meteorologist Joanna Hewes said the winds were associated with a cold front moving across Victoria that is due to reach Melbourne in the early hours of Monday morning.
“The front is expected to reach far western Victoria late tonight, about 11pm, but we could see strong winds ahead of that front any time from this afternoon,” she said.
Melbourne is being battered by yet another cold front.Credit: Luis Ascui
“Take some time today to prepare by moving your vehicles undercover and away from trees, tying down loose items such as outdoor furniture and trampolines, and avoiding travel if possible during the peak of the winds overnight, particularly through heavily treed areas.
“After the main cold front has passed through, we are still expecting to see further gusty showers and thunderstorms in behind the front, and they’ll be gradually easing throughout Monday.”
