The owner of a crane at the centre of an emergency operation in Melbourne's inner suburbs says the crane's arm wasn't secured at the correct height to avoid it bending backwards during damaging winds overnight.
About 300 people were evacuated in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond about 11pm after a 40m crane was battered by winds of more than 100km/h and almost knocked onto buildings.
The crane remains on a building site in Lennox St, as crews work to stabilise it. 
A damaged crane is seen in Richmond, Melbourne, Tuesday, July 24, 2018 Source: AAP
Michael Clark, of Clark Cranes said it appears the gib, or arm, of the crane was not left in the correct position which would have allowed it to move freely in windy conditions.
"If the gib is left up too high, the wind can grab it and push it backwards, which it has done, unfortunately," Mr Clark told 3AW radio on Tuesday.
"At some sites, people complain about it overhanging a little bit, and so builders lift it up that little bit more to appease the residents."
Work to stabilise the crane was delayed until first light, with emergency crews at the scene and traffic closed from Highett St to Swan St in Cremorne. Work crews are expected to dismantle the crane so engineers can assess the damage.
Mr Clark received the news of the emergency while on a caravan holiday with his family in Queensland but said he had "the best" people in Melbourne to resolve the problem.
Residents on the south-west side of the crane were evacuated to Richmond Town Hall for safety reasons.
Owner of the nearby Short Black cafe on Bridge Road, Robert Stewart, witnessed the heavy winds bend a crane.
“We were unloading groceries from Coles into the business when I heard the crane start to rattle,” he told News Corp.
“I heard the tower starting to buckle about 6.30-7pm and when I looked, the crane was rocking back and forth.”
Mr Stewart said the wind was so strong he feared that his cafe would be damaged.
Warnings Issued
A severe weather warning remains in place as another cold front continues to move eastwards across Victoria, with residents warned to take measures to protect lives and property.
Winds averaging 60-70km/h with peak gusts of around 90km/h are expected as a cold front moves eastwards across the state, the Bureau of Meteorology warned this morning.
Alpine areas are expected to receive peak gusts of 100-110km/h.
But the BoM said conditions are expected to improve later this evening.
The State Emergency Service has warned Melbourne residents to avoid power lines and move vehicles from under trees as the wild winds batter the area.
Melbourne battered
Yesterday, Melbourne was hit by 113km/h winds, with Melbourne’s east, southeast and outer north the hardest hit.
At least 970 homes in the suburb of Epping were plunged into darkness as powerlines were taken down.
The crane damaged in the winds in Richmond. Source: Seven Network
More than 450 properties in East Warburton were also impacted by the wild weather, along with dozens of homes in Upper Plenty, Kinglake, Garfield, Emerald, Clematis and Cardinia.
Homes on the Mornington Peninsula and the state’s west also lost power.
A spokesperson from the SES said the organisation received more than 100 calls for help in the central Melbourne area after 1.30pm on Monday.
Earlier on Monday, pieces of a tin roof were ripped off a home in Apollo Bay, with the SES called to help secure the home.
“It looks like the tin has been blown off the house and the SES was called for help about 10.38am,” a spokesman said.
Large waves crash over Mornington Pier on July 23, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. Source: Getty
