Melbourne weather: City braces for damaging winds, heavy rain

That's it for our live coverage this evening. Severe weather warnings remain current for much of the state. Heavy rain and strong wind are still forecast until Monday morning. More information is available here.

The SES has responded to more than 300 calls for help. Volunteers are urging people to secure loose items and stay away from large trees, fallen powerlines and floodwater.

Emergency Services Commission Craig Lapsley reminded Victorians to be prepared for heavy rain and wild wind.

"Understand where you are, understand it will be very strong, that means there could be impacts, trees down, power could be out for some parts."

The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting heavy rains for Gippsland on Monday and damaging winds redeveloping in the Alpine region. 

"We are forecasting 50-100mm [of rain] in East Gippsland on Monday," senior forecaster Richard Carlyon says. 

"And 20-60mm through west and south Gippsland.

"There will be damaging winds at 100km/h. That is developing tomorrow morning in the Alpine region."

A spokeswoman for Citipower Powercor says 15,000 customers are without power due to fallen power lines. The company services customers including inner Melbourne and also south western, western and central Victoria. 

The severe weather warning for Victoria will continue until Monday.

Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Richard Carlyon says all the major ski resorts - Falls Creek, Mount Buller, Mount Hotham -  have received light snowfall throughout the afternoon.

"They should get more snow through the night, perhaps a cover of 10cm by dawn tomorrow," he said. 

"It will warm to 3 to 4 degrees by late morning so the snow will finish by then."

Track the storm around the state:

Cape Otway has recorded the state's highest rainfall so far, with 29mm falling since 9am. Rainfall has also been significant in Mount Hotham (25mm) and Ballarat (24mm).

Melbourne city is so far nowhere near the predicted 60mm in 24 hours. The latest heavy shower brought 3mm between 4.30pm and 5.15pm, bringing the day's total since 9am to 6mm.

The highest rainfall in the Melbourne area was in Ferny Creek, 33 kilometres south-east of the Melbourne CBD, where it has rained 16mm since 9am. 

Carolyn Webb reports: The State Emergency Service has attended 134 incidents, 35 of those from 4pm to 5pm.

Most incidents were for fallen trees and building damage. 

The most affected areas were in Victoria's southwest, from Port Campbell to Cobden, Colac, the Otways and as far north as Ballarat. 

"We've seen heaps of traffic hazards where trees have blocked roads, mostly between 4pm and 5pm," an SES spokeswoman said.

How's the weather at your place? Send us your photos, videos and observations.

Neelima Choahan reports: A Melbourne Airport spokesman says staff were pulled off the airfield after an early morning thunderstorm warning.

"We have not been significantly affected for the rest of the day so far," he said. 

Heavy rain has begun to fall in Melbourne.

The state's lowest temperature was 6 degrees, recorded at Mount Hotham just before 9am this morning. It was -1 there about 4pm. 

The strongest wind gust was 120km/h, recorded at Falls Creek at 11.25am. Mount Hotham also saw strong winds, with a gust of 119km/h recorded at 10.11am.

Melissa Cunningham reports: Organisers of a sailing trip by the tall ship Tenacious were forced to cancel their journey despite being fully booked.

Project manager of the Jubilee Sailing Trust of Australia Peter Mitchell said Melbourne's extreme weather forecast meant it wasn't safe for crew or passengers to set sail on Sunday.  

Tenacious is the world's largest operative wooden hulled tall ship, weighing in at 586 gross tonnes. 

"We had cancel due to the forecast very high winds and to make sure all souls on board were kept safe," Mr Mitchell said.

"It shows how extreme the weather is today because this is the first sail of any description we've had to cancel in Australia."

Mr Mitchell said the ship's voyage to the annual Hansa Asia-Pacific Championships in Geelong, leaving from Port Phillip Bay on Monday morning was still going ahead.

He said the 40 people booked to set sail on Sunday from Port Phillip Bay were offered a seat on the voyage on Monday instead, a full refund, or the option of going on another day sail later in the year. 

The ship was designed and built by the Jubilee Sailing Trust in England to specifically cater to people for passengers disabilities.

From Neelima Choahan: Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Richard Carlyon warns the worst is not over.  

"For Melbourne we are still yet to see the heaviest rain reach us and we will see that in the next few hours," Mr Carlyon said about 4pm.

"We are still expecting falls of 20-40mm across the Melbourne area. It is a wait and see how much we actually end up with. But it certainly looks quite wet."

He said the rain was expected around 5pm and will last into the early hours of Monday morning, before easing up.

"We'll wake up to a a fairly cool day, few showers and a top of 16 degrees."

By 4pm, Cape Otway had already seen 24mm of rain. 

The Bureau of Meteorology radar shows some heavy falls on the way.

 

How's the weather near you? Send us photos, video and observations.

The latest update:

• Damaging winds and flash flooding are still on track to lash the state around 7pm.
• Melbourne is on flood watch, with the BOM predicting April's total average rainfall in 24 hours.
• Dangerous surf conditions and poor water quality have closed beaches.
• The SES had responded to 140 requests for help across Victoria by Sunday morning.
• It's snowing at Falls Creek, two months ahead of the start of the season.
• Wind gusts up to 120km/h are predicted. Gusts of 119km/h have already been recorded at Mt Hotham.
• A few international flights to Melbourne were diverted on Saturday night. Travellers are advised to check with airlines for effects on Sunday.
• More than 200 households are without power around Melbourne.
• The wet weather has closed the MCG carpark.

Read more details here.

Here's a plan for a day like today:

And here's a video of the first snowfall of the season.