Rain and thunderstorms have eased across Victoria, but the Bureau of Meteorology warns the risk of flooding isn’t over yet.
Overnight, emergency evacuations took place in Murchison with residents given less than two hours to leave.
The order at 10.44pm on Friday was given after the Goulburn River in Murchison hit 10.73 metres, with the rising water expected to reach about 12 metres early this morning.
The Goulburn River had already reached record levels on Friday, higher than in 1974, bringing major flooding to Seymour.
Residents were evacuated as homes became inundated and parts of the town went under water.
Though most of the heaviest rain has cleared, there is still a nervous wait for many across Victoria.
The BoM is warning residents upstream along the Goulburn River, towards Shepparton, to remain on alert and keep an eye on river levels in the coming days “as major flooding is likely as we move into Saturday”.
There are also concerns about the Campaspe River at Rochester with major flooding likely to peak overnight and into this morning, exceeding the devastating 2011 levels.
The BoM’s Dean Narramore said Charlton is also expecting its peak this morning.
“They’re expecting major flooding into Saturday, slowly easing Sunday but hopefully by Sunday night dropping out of those levels.
“But there’s so much water in the systems at the moment.”
Narramore also warned people in north-west Melbourne that “major flooding” there could exceed levels of the early 1990s.
Isolated showers will continue throughout the weekend, falling on and south of the ranges, before becoming scattered in the east later into Sunday afternoon and evening.
It’ll be a cool and partly cloudy day elsewhere to start the weekend, with light to moderate westerly winds becoming light and variable during the evening.
The flood risks come after a slow-moving cloudband fuelled by tropical moisture caused a prolonged spell of persistent and heavy rain over southeastern Australia, Weatherzone says.
In a 48-hour period, some parts of Victoria recorded over 200 mm of rain, while totals in northern Tasmania reached almost 400 mm and a few places collected close to a season’s worth of rain in the same two-day timeframe.
While the cloudband has now cleared out to the Tasman Sea, leaving lighter showers over the two states in its wake, Weatherzone also warns that flooding is set to linger.
And there are already early signs of “another rain-bearing low pressure system” that could impact the same regions late next week.
