Severe Weather Warning Issued For Melbourne, So I Guess Valentines Day Is Cancelled

Brace yourselves Melbourne because a severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for much of the city and Geelong, resulting in a miserable end to the work week.

The wild weather that ravaged much of New South Wales and Queensland throughout the week is headed towards Victoria, with thunderstorms imminent across parts of the state.

The warning caps off a wet week nationwide, with NSW receiving some of the heaviest February rain in years.

The Bureau of Meteorology has taken to Twitter to issue a severe thunderstorm warning for the greater Melbourne area and Geelong.

“Warm, humid and unstable airstreams” are set to hit Mildura, Horsham, Warrnambool, Bendigo, Maryborough, Ballarat and Geelong, as well as much of the Melbourne city area. These conditions are said to be perfect for thunderstorms, which means it could be a dreary Friday night across the state.

“A line of thunderstorms remains to the west and could impact the Melbourne area,” the Bureau of Meteorology tweeted on Friday afternoon.

The city managed to remain reasonably dry throughout the brunt of the storm at around 4pm, but other areas such as Sheoaks in the west of the state weren’t so lucky, with 53mm of rain soaking the area in less than an hour.

A whopping 26mm fell near Ringwood on Friday afternoon, causing flash flooding in the Eastland Shopping Centre car park.

An estimated 15,000 homes are without power due to unplanned disruptions, according to Ausnet.

“Flash floods can happen quickly, without warning and it is important to never enter or drive through flood waters, as it can take just 15cm of water to float a car,” SES State Agency Commander, David Baker said, according to Herald Sun.

“Last night the SES Corryong Unit were called to an incident in Nariel Valley, where a major sinkhole developed in the road, all of which was caused by a thunderstorm.

“Stay aware of your surroundings and if you’re travelling or are in unfamiliar places, make sure you are aware of the local risk.”

As parts of the country receive the heaviest February rainfall in years, others are facing record-breaking heat waves as the summer season proves to be anything but pleasant.

Image: Getty Images