Severe weather has hit Victoria hard, with thunderstorm warnings predicting more heavy rain, damaging winds, and large hail. A cold front swept Melbourne from about 2 pm on Monday, leading the Bureau of Meteorology to issue two severe weather alerts.
This storm interrupted the Geelong vs. Hawthorn AFL match at the MCG, causing a 40-minute delay as players and spectators sought shelter due to lightning.
In Stawell, the annual Gift running festival faced a two-hour delay after torrential rain flooded the track, with the town recording 25.2mm of rain since 9 am.
Stawell Gift finals were postponed after torrential rain flooded the track and caused delays.The storms also disrupted power for nearly 12,000 residents in western Victoria, with Horsham and Mount William receiving 20mm and 30.8mm of rain respectively since the morning.
This deluge follows Melbourne’s driest March on record, with just 2.8mm of rain, and contrasts sharply with northern Australia’s weather.
The north experienced its second-wettest March, with tropical cyclones and monsoon rains pushing totals to 182mm, more than double the usual amount. Groote Eylandt, in the Northern Territory, saw its second-wettest March ever, thanks to ex-Tropical Cyclone Megan.
As Victoria and Tasmania brace for more storms, Sydney is expected to get up to 70mm of rain by Friday. Despite the recent dry spell in the south-east, the Bureau of Meteorology forecasts that rainfall will return to average levels over the next three months.
However, drier and warmer conditions are predicted for much of the country due to a positive Indian Ocean Dipole and neutral El Niño conditions.