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Melbourne Weather: Town flooded, snakes washed into streets as rain batters west

The temperature in Melbourne is forecast to drop five degrees and commuters are being warned about a dump of rain expected to hit the city on Friday night. 

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Ballarat teen caught surfing air mattress as west Victoria floods

Residents capture scenes of the deluge of spring rain in Coleraine and Ballarat, including a teen who rode an inflatable mattress on the swollen Yarrowee River.

When the siren sounds for the first bounce at the MCG blockbuster between Geelong and Hawthorn the temperature is expected to be 13 degrees, the Bureau of Meteorology said.

Flooding in the nearby town of Coleraine.
Flooding in the nearby town of Coleraine. Photo: Facebook

Rain is expected throughout the game.

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Meanwhile, floodwaters in western Victoria that forced residents in the town of Coleraine to evacuate their homes on Friday are starting to recede.

But a severe weather warning remains in place for the state's north-east – including Shepparton, Wangaratta, Seymour and Wodonga – where a dump of up to 100 millimetres of rain is still possible.

One resident said her wood pile was 'floating down the driveway ... with tiger snakes escaping'.
One resident said her wood pile was 'floating down the driveway ... with tiger snakes escaping'. Photo: Yanni

People filled sandbags to protect their houses and were moved to a relief centre at the Coleraine racecourse on Friday morning after almost 60 millimetres of rain fell overnight, causing flash flooding.

At least five people were stranded in their homes as floodwaters rose, and tiger snakes were reportedly seen fleeing through the streets.

The western Victorian town Coleraine has been hit hard by flood waters.
The western Victorian town Coleraine has been hit hard by flood waters. Photo: Supplied

Coleraine – a four-hour drive from Melbourne and about an hour-and-a-half north-west of Warrnambool – was hardest hit.

"The heaviest rain fell over just two or three hours," Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Claire Yeo said. "The water was rising very quickly."

Flooding in Coleraine.
Flooding in Coleraine. Photo: Courtesy of Dean Merryweather

The rain has now stopped in the west of the state and floodwaters will begin to drop on Friday evening, Ms Yeo said.

One Coleraine resident, Teegan, told radio station 3AW the water carried away a pile of logs from her yard.

Flooding in Ballarat.
Flooding in Ballarat. Photo: Ballarat Courier

"We've got our woodpile floating down the driveway onto the road, with tiger snakes escaping," she said.

"When I was leaving the house, I could feel the carpets were floating under my feet.

Flooding in Ballarat.
Flooding in Ballarat.  Photo: Ballarat Courier

"It was a bit of scramble. There's a fair bit of stuff that we can't replace."

Another resident, Bruce, who has lived in Coleraine all his life, told 3AW he had never seen anything like it in the town.

Flooding in Coleraine.
Flooding in Coleraine. Photo: Courtesy of Dean Merryweather

"The bowling club's underwater, all the ovals, and there's several houses under threat at the moment," he said.

Ballarat was also hit by the deluge, with more than 34 millimetres of rain falling between 1.30am and 5am on Friday.

Flooding in Coleraine.
Flooding in Coleraine. Photo: Courtesy of Dean Merryweather

Local police warned people to be safe around floodwaters after video footage showed one man floating on an inflatable air mattress.

The Yarrowee River broke its banks at a number of points, flooding roads, parks and backyards.

Weatherzone: Melbourne storm tracker map

Commuters can expect 40-minute delays on V/Line trains as a result of the flooding.

About 100 people have called the State Emergency Service since midnight with most battling flooding and fallen trees in the Ballarat and Hamilton area.

"Volunteers are out responding to that with sandbagging of both homes and businesses," SES spokeswoman Susan Davie said.

There is still a severe weather in place for Shepparton, Wangaratta, Seymour and Wodonga, where there could be a dump of up to 100 millimetres of rain.

Falls of between 30 and 50 millimetres are likely across the north and north-east.

Ms Davie said SES crews were on stand-by.

"It's already pretty wet out there so any more rain will put significant pressure on the creeks and rivers," she said.

"We really encourage motorists across Victoria to drive to the conditions, take care and be mindful of hazards on country roads such as fallen trees. Most of all, please don't enter floodwaters."

A strong cold front and upper trough, which developed over the Australian Bight and slowly moved east, dumped heavy rain over the state's west and south-west overnight.

The system dumped 51 millimetres over Dartmoor, 46 millimetres at Portland and 30 millimetres at Warrnambool.

Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Rod Dickson said the system was expected to move further east on Friday.

Click PLAY below to hear Bruce's call

 With AAP

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