Get set for big wet, chance of flooding
The region is expecting 50-60 mm of rainfall over the next few days, but higher falls are possible with thunderstorms also forming.
The Bureau of Meteorology forecast is for 25-35 mm today, 10-15 mm tomorrow and up to 8 mm on Friday.
Today’s and tomorrow’s forecast includes the potential for severe thunderstorms in the afternoon which could significantly add to rainfall totals.
A high pressure system moving slowly east over the Tasman Sea will cause a low pressure system and an associated trough to stall as it moves across Victoria from the west.
The low and trough will move slowly over Victoria today and tomorrow before weakening on Friday although isolated showers are forecast to continue until early next week.
The Victorian State Emergency Service has warned residents to ‘‘expect the unexpected’’ and prepare for heavy rainfall.
‘‘SES volunteers respond to tens of thousands of calls for help due to storms every year, many of these are from people whose ceilings and walls are flooded with water due to blocked and overwhelmed rain gutters, drains and downpipes,’’ VICSES north-east region commander Sue Sheldrick said.
‘‘Taking care to check and clean your gutters, drains and downpipes before heavy rainfall can avoid frightening, dangerous and expensive damage to your home.’’
River catchments in north-east Victoria are already wet and SES said the forecast rainfall would most likely cause minor level f looding in some rivers and streams.
Flash flooding is also possible
from severe thunderstorms.
In advance of the wet weather the Murray Darling Basin Authority has started releasing more than
20,000 megalitres of water from the Hume Dam per day to create airspace.
‘‘Above–average rainfall is
expected in the upper Murray catchment in late September and October and there is an increased chance of f looding, particularly on the floodplains between Hume Dam and Yarrawonga Weir,’’ MDBA acting chief executive Andrew Reynolds said.