A clean-up is under way in Victoria after wild storms brought down trees and buffeted the state.
The State Emergency Service had 430 calls for assistance across the state, with 250 of those in greater metropolitan Melbourne.
Most calls were for trees blown down and minor building damage, mostly affecting sheds and outbuildings.
Damaging winds and dry lightning strikes accompanied thunderstorms that affected a vast area of Victoria on Wednesday afternoon and evening, spanning from the Mallee to the northeast and from the surf coast to metropolitan Melbourne and Gippsland.
Emergency services are closely monitoring the state on Thursday for possible fire flare-ups from the lightning strikes.
"We are still monitoring lightning strikes today. Better conditions in the south are helping us out but conditions are still hot and windy in the north and west," an Emergency Management Victoria spokesman told AAP on Thursday.
Gusts peaked at 107km/h in Hopetoun and 100km/h in St Kilda, but gusts over 90km/h were common in many parts of Victoria.
A murky mist of dust blew into Melbourne with the storm that brought a cooling wind change to the city, where the top temperature was 42C.
The windstorm caused the Spirit of Tasmania II's moorings to snap, forcing the ship to swing 90 degrees from Station Pier and buckling its vehicle ramp.
The worst-hit areas included Melbourne's outer east and northeast, Colac, Warragul and Mildura.
