Overview
- The intense downpour that hit on Thursday dumped up to 47.8mm at Melbourne Olympic Park and produced one of the city’s wettest days in more than two years.
- Two cars were trapped under the York Street bridge in South Melbourne and police rescued occupants including a family of four with no injuries reported.
- Victoria State Emergency Service crews answered about 200 calls for help, carried out multiple water rescues and warned flash flooding can develop rapidly.
- Flood watches cover many central, north‑east and Gippsland catchments, including the Loddon River and towns north of Ballarat, as the Bureau of Meteorology says some areas could see 100–150mm over the next 48–72 hours.
- Farmers in western districts welcomed the rain as good for crops but saturated catchments in Gippsland and north‑east Victoria increase risks of road closures, power outages and further evacuations.