Extreem weer Melbourne

Melbourne 2012???

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Hail has blanketed Melbourne like snow as a dangerous thunderstorm ripped through the city, causing power outages, train delays and damage to vehicles.

The wild storm hit the Melbourne area around 3pm and reduced visibility to a few metres at its peak. Melbourne streets became rivers as drains overflowed, failing to deal with 33mm of rain that fell in less than an hour.

Up to 10,000 residents were without power in the Richmond, Toorak and Collingwood areas this afternoon, with more than 2000 still facing power outages at 7pm.
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Lightning strikes as the storm closing on the CBD. Photo: Steve Davidson


In regional areas 20,000 customers were without power at the height of the tempest, and up to 7,000 are still facing disrupted supplies.

Trains are unable to stop at Southern Cross station after a major leak in the roof sent torrents of water on to platforms and tracks. Daniel Moloney from V-Line said all train lines are experiencing major delays, and V-Line passengers should expect delays of up to one hour.

Metro trains was using buses to convey train passengers from Flemington racecourse to Footscray, and was urging commuters to defer all but essential travel.

Authorities are urging residents to stay indoors and avoid floodwaters as the SES is inundated with emergency calls. The rescue agency had taken over 100 calls by 7pm.

The NAB Cup semi-final between St Kilda and Fremantle is being played before a paltry crowd after the start of the match was delayed for twenty minutes as the AFL carried out public safety checks on the stadium.

The Flemington races were cancelled after six events with the two main group one races yet to be run. An AFL practice match at Visy Park between Geelong and Brisbane was cancelled because of the danger posed by lightning.

The weather bureau said 19 millimetres of rain poured down in buckets over the city in under 18 minutes at the peak of the storm.

There are reports of flooding across the city after hail blanketed city streets and brought traffic to a stand-still and overpowering drainage systems.

Some residents report seeing hail stones as big as 5 centimetres, and at Melton they were reported at 10 cm.

Melbourne Airport has been closed and the heavy rain forced the evacuation of The Jam Factory cinema complex in South Yarra and Southern Cross Station.

The Weather Bureau is forecasting more storms to strike the city in the coming hours.

Wind gusts of around 100 kmh were recorded at Melbourne Airport.

The State Emergency Service (SES) has advised that people in affected areas should keep clear of fallen power lines, secure any loose objects around the home and stay indoors if possible.

The SES also advises against driving through flooded areas.

A more general severe thunderstorm warning is also current for the North Central and parts of the Mallee, Northern Country, Wimmera, Western and Central districts.