More wild weather across Australia due today
Pastor Dale Morgan
More wild weather across Australia due today*
By staff writers and AAP
December 21, 2007 08:30am
Article from: Herald Sun
VICTORIA can expect a further downpour of rain today as the clean-up
continues from wild storms that battered parts of the state yesterday.
A storm late yesterday knocked out office telephone communications, put
public transport services into disarray, caused flash flooding around
Melbourne and sparked more than 750 calls for assistance to the State
Emergency Service in the two hours to 6pm (AEDT).
"Victoria has experienced some intense rainfall over short periods in
the past 24 hours, which has caused water damage largely due to
overflowing gutters and blocked drains,'' SES operations manager Tim
Wiebusch said.
The wild weather is expected to continue today with thunderstorms, heavy
rain and hail forecast.
Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Richard Carlyon said 20mm-25mm
of rain had fallen in some parts of the state yesterday, with golf
ball-sized hail reported in Ballarat.
Significant rain would fall in the state's west tomorrow morning but
there should then be a settled period right through the Christmas week.
Victoria's Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has warned against
swimming near stormwater drains, rivers, streams and other outlets
flowing into Port Phillip Bay following the rain.
Thousands of commuters were stranded, trams hit by lightning and roads
cut as Melbourne was battered by fierce storms yesterday.
Lightning also struck two trams after the morning peak hour.
*
Storm causes city flash flooding*
By Jeff Turnbull and Michelle Draper
December 20, 2007 07:01pm
Article from: AAP
A WILD storm caused flash flooding as it swept through Melbourne late
today, knocking out office telephone communications and triggering calls
for help to the SES.
The State Emergency Service warned Victorians to expect more of the same
over the next 48 hours with further storms and rain predicted.
"Victoria has experienced some intense rainfall over short periods in
the past 24 hours, which has caused water damage largely due to
overflowing gutters and blocked drains," SES manager for state
operations Tim Wiebusch said.
Mr Wiebusch said the SES had responded to more than 100 calls since last
night seeking assistance.
The hardest hit areas have been at South Barwon, west of Geelong, where
the SES responded to 19 calls and Torquay, along the Great Ocean Road,
where 10 residents needed help.
Torrential rain at Ocean Grove collapsed a bank storeroom roof.
Melbourne's tallest building, the Eureka Tower, had to close the glass
box observation area on the 88th floor because of the fierce winds.
Known as The Edge, the glass cube which extends 3m from the side of the
building and can withstand winds of up to 70km/h, was shut down at the
height of the storm.
Another victim was the Mordialloc Police Station, about 25km south of
Melbourne, which had to be closed due to flooding this afternoon.
Around 4.30pm (AEDT) the staff at the station noticed substantial
internal leaking from the ceiling of the two storey building.
The police closed the station temporarily while the SES assessed the damage.
Thousands of peak hour commuters faced long delays on roads, trains and
trams.
The SES said people should take precautions during the wild weather and
not try to drive, ride or walk through floodwater, keep clear of
waterways and stormwater drains and keep well clear of fallen powerlines.
The wild weather is expected to continue over the next 24 hours, with
thunderstorms, heavy rain and hail forecast.
Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Richard Carlyon said severe
thunderstorms were moving across the state, with golfball-sized hail
reported in Ballarat about 3pm today.
Mr Carlyon said 20 to 25mm of rain had fallen in some parts of the state.
"These storms are likely to keep heading into eastern Victoria through
the night," he said.
Significant rain would fall in the state's west tomorrow morning but
there should then be a settled period right through the Christmas week.
Despite rain last night and today, Melbourne's water storages dropped by
0.4 per cent this week to 38.9 per cent, compared to 39.6 per cent at
the same time last year.
Victoria's Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has warned against
swimming near stormwater drains, rivers, streams and other outlets
flowing into Port Phillip Bay.