Melbournians kicked off the doona and sheets overnight before grabbing a jumper and jacket for the daily commute during a morning of wacky weather.
Melbourne's temperature hovered at about 21C for most of the night before rising sharply about 3.30am to reach 25.7C at 5.30am.
The change was even more acute in Coldstream where the overnight low of 12C soon spiked to 24C.
But then the storms moved in, which made temperatures in the city plummet to 17.9C and heralded the arrival of strong rain and wild winds.
Stormy conditions are expected to remain in place for much of the morning and a severe weather warning has been issued for most of the state.
Areas that may be affected include Horsham, Warrnambool, Seymour, Maryborough, Ballarat, Geelong and Melbourne.
The cold spell is set to continue on Friday with temperatures so low there may be snowfall on elevated areas.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
* There's a severe weather warning for damaging winds for all districts except the Mallee
* The pollen count is high for Melbourne and Geelong and extreme in Melbourne's east
* A strong wind warning is current for Western Port and Gippsland Lakes with gale warnings in all other coastal areas
* Melbourne's forecast for Thursday: rain easing, windy, a maximum of 24C with a UV level of 12
No major incidents were reported overnight but Victoria's SES received 38 calls for assistance including 25 for fallen trees and 11 about building damage.
Authorities are also watching a fire at Cabbage Tree in the state's east where gale force winds are expected to push through from Port Phillip and the peninsula areas on Thursday afternoon.
