AWF Update 10:14 AM
Heavy falls are continuing to be recorded in the last hour with the moderate to heavy rain band west of Geelong and around Colac, pushing towards the east to southeast now thanks to the low's wrap around, however moderate rainfall continues to be pushed on to the coastline from Bass Strait also thanks to the lows wrap around effects. This is producing high reflectivity rates and generally 20mm/hr rainfall rates, in some local cases higher. Generally elsewhere over the past hour, rainfall has eased over the central districts and also West Gippsland with just scattered showers remaining. Rainfall totals in the last hour have generally ranged up to 5-10mm across the Otway region which is being influenced by the rainfall near Colac, and generally elsewhere totals have been only a few mm thanks to showers.
At the present time, rain areas are generally affecting areas to the west and southwest of Geelong with moderate to heavy rainfall, and this is stretching over the Otway Ranges and also on to the region around Colac and the Great Ocean Road near Port Campbell. The orientation of this rainfall currently is varied, with the main band of rain west of Geelong moving in an east to southeast direction with the lows southeast movement, but moderate rainfall is persisting to push up onto the Great Ocean Road area around Port Campbell and further north from Bass Strait. Scattered showers generally over remaining central parts. Heavy rainfall is increasing the risk of flash flooding and main river flooding, particularly about the Otways and areas of the eastern Western district. Flooding is also becoming a concern elsewhere across the state today and tomorrow thanks to the heavy rainfall that occurred yesterday.
For today, the upper low will slowly move south to southeast and into central Bass Strait, which it is currently doing. The rain activity around the low will gradually move further southeast and clear offshore later this afternoon, so further periods of moderate to heavy rainfall are expected across the southwest and eastern parts of the western district. Strong and gusty SW winds will develop as the low winds up over Bass Strait and pushes further south tonight.
AWF Melbourne Forecast:
Sunday: Showers with conditions becoming cooler. Light SW winds freshening over southern suburbs, then extending throughout during the day and strengthening, before tending west to northwest and easing tonight.
For the latest host of warnings please visit
http://www.bom.gov.au/vic for flood watches and warnings.
Next AWF Update at 11:30 AM