The most powerful cold front of the year has dipped the mercury to -5.2C at Falls Creek and delivered a timely snow dump to the Ski Resorts of Australia
A car is being cleared at Mt Buller this morning following the huge dump. Pic: Andrew Railton Source: Supplied
MELBURNIANS are bracing for freezing, wild weather as temperatures plummet and severe winds sweep the state.
Bureau of Meteorology’s duty forecaster Steven McGibbony said although the temperature was 8.7C at about 9am today, it felt more like -2C due to the wind chill factor.
The good news is that not much more rain is expected, but gales of up to 130km/h are set to hit the state, with the biggest risk areas being Bayside and the Mornington Peninsula.
“Now is the peak time for Melbourne’s strongest wind gusts,” he said.
Mr McGibbony said the strong winds would continue into the early evening.
“Winds will still be at about 90km/h right throughout the afternoon,” he said.
“During the overnight period they should start to ease back, but it will still be fresh and gusty.”
The worst conditions are due to hit Melbourne between 10am and noon, with predicted winds of 100 to 110km/h, with stronger winds in some areas.
“For those eastern bayside suburbs and the coastal fringe winds could be up to 120km/h to 130km/h,” another forecaster James Taylor said.
“Ultimately the severe weather warning is for damaging winds across the whole state but potentially destructive winds could occur in central and western coastal areas, alpine areas, elevated areas of South Gippsland and the Otway Ranges.”
A gust of 120km/h was recorded at Cape Nelson, near Portland in the state’s west, about 6am with widespread peak gusts between 100 and 110km/h along the west coast.
Commuters struggle into work through the cold wet weather in Melbourne. Picture: Nicole Garmston Source: News Corp Australia
Umbrellas this morning were a must, as rain poured during rush hour. Picture: Nicole Garmston Source: News Corp Australia
Little Mia, 4, held tightly on to her umbrella in Southbank on her way to kindergarten. Picture: Nicole Garmston Source: News Corp Australia
Lulu Freedman is overjoyed with the fresh snow at Falls Creek, with forecasters tipping up to 100cm of new snow this week. overjoyed with the fresh snow. Source: Supplied
The snowy entrance to Mt Buller this morning, which sets the resort up for winter. Pic: Andrew Railton Source: Supplied
Earlier, forecaster Richard Carlyon said today’s conditions were set to be the windiest of the week.
“We will still see relatively strong winds for quite a number of days as further cold fronts move through,” he said.
“Conditions will be showery and windy and cold for most of the week.”
Mr Carlyon said the biggest winds overnight were in the south-west area of the state.
“A lot of the night we were in a little bit of a lull between weather systems, so there weren’t too many gusts,” he said.
“The worst we’ve seen was in the last half-hour where winds reached 107km/h in Cape Nelson and 91km/h in Portland.”
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The State Emergency Service (SES) has warned Victorians to park cars under cover or away from trees, secure or store loose items around their houses and stay clear of fallen powerlines.
SES spokesperson Stefan Delatovic said they received 210 calls for help yesterday, with more than half in greater metropolitan Melbourne after gales of up to 95km/h hit the area.
“Most calls were about trees being blown down … and we had 30 calls for minor building damage like tiles lifting off roofs.”
Mr Delatovic expected to get a spike in calls today.
There are severe weather warnings for the Mallee, Wimmera, Northern Country, North Central, North East, South West, Central, West and South Gippsland and East Gippsland forecast districts.
Margaret McCoppin and her Maltese Jack Russell cross, Alfie, cop an icy blast. Picture: Cormac Hanrahan. Source: News Corp Australia
A dusting of snow is predicted to cover Mt Dandenong and Mt Macedon while alpine areas could see up to 50cm of snow.
Snow falls and strong winds will create poor conditions in alpine areas with blizzards likely today and tomorrow.
Mr Buller and Falls Creek have seen their first real falls for the 2014 season.
“We’re expecting follow-up snow through the rest of the week with cold fronts and a further 20 to 40cm by the end of the weekend,” Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Andrea Peace said
For emergency help in floods and storms, ring your local SES Unit on 132 500.
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