Over 500 calls for help as Melbourne, Geelong drenched by storms

The weather bureau said large hailstones were forecast across the state, ranging from those the size of marbles in Melbourne to golf ball-sized in Victoria’s north-east.

Senior meteorologist Joanna Hewes said a deep low-pressure system sitting over Victoria’s south-west late on Friday morning drove a rain band ahead of it.

“What we’re expecting broadly across much of the state today is the potential for large hail – so that’s hail at two centimetres or larger,” Hewes said. “But then up in north-east Victoria, there’s the potential for what we classify as giant hail … that’s more your golf ball-sized hail.”

The hail could be localised, with thunderstorms differing from one town to the next, Hewes said.

“The majority of the storm activity is looking to clear through the Melbourne area by the late afternoon, and then be continuing in [the] eastern parts of the state,” Hewes said.

The State Control Centre reiterated the bureau’s warnings, and said: “Destructive winds, giant hail and intense rainfall are possible in the north-east and eastern parts of the northern country and north central districts.

“There is a possibility of tornadoes forming in this area. Elsewhere, damaging winds, large hail and heavy rainfall are possible across most of the state, excluding western parts of the Mallee and north-eastern parts of East Gippsland.”

Rainfall of up to 40 millimetres was expected to hit Melbourne on Friday, but areas south-west of the city, including Avalon and Werribee, were the hardest hit by 11am.

The Bureau of Meteorology’s Kevin Parkyn said unique winds caused supercell thunderstorms to form in western Victoria on Wednesday, dumping hail “as large as cricket balls” on the small town of Casterton.

Before Friday’s storms, Parkyn warned of intense rainfall that could cause flash flooding, and destructive winds “capable of ripping trees out of the ground”.

“Unfortunately, [the storms] don’t come with a timetable; they don’t even come with a platform,” he said. “So we have to wait and see how they develop during the day.”

On Thursday, Victoria SES commander David Baker urged motorcyclists heading to the MotoGP on Phillip Island to reconsider their travel plans if they planned to be on the road on Friday afternoon.

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