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Gale force winds and floods swamp Melbourne
A violent winter storm has blasted Victoria, leaving several people injured, trees toppled on cars, buildings damaged, snow in alpine regions and more than 80 thousand homes without power across the state.
The State Emergency Service has received more than two and a half thousand calls today as a strong cold front and an intense low pressure system combined to give Victoria an icy return to winter.
Peak gusts included 128 kilometres an hour at Cape Otway, 122km/h at South Channel Beacon and 113km/h at Fawkner Beacon in Port Phillip Bay. During the wild weather a woman was injured after a brick wall collapsed in Yarraville and several drivers were also injured by trees falling onto their cars.
A welcome forecast for snow bunnies
In Victoria up to one metre of snow is expected at some ski resorts by Wednesday as wind and rain persist overnight.
In NSW Thredbo ski resort is reporting 80 cm of the white stuff has fallen in the past 24 hours, with temperatures dropping below zero throughout Tuesday.
At nearby Perisher, 70 cm of natural snow has fallen with snow showers forecast for the rest of the week.
Bad weather, strong winds in NSW
New South Wales residents have been warned to keep children and pets indoors on Tuesday afternoon, with winds expected to reach speeds of 110 kilometres an hour.
Sheep graziers are being warned that cold temperatures, showers and strong westerly winds could see a ‘high risk of losses of lambs and sheep exposed to these conditions.’
In South Australia, a gale warning has been issued for Central Coast, South Central Coast, Upper South East Coast and Lower South East Coast.
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