September 2nd 2024.
Over the weekend, strong winds caused widespread damage across Victoria, leaving at least 40,000 people without power. While the worst of the winds have passed and severe weather warnings have been lifted, there are still 1000 active jobs for emergency services to address.
According to the State Emergency Service (SES), they have received over 4000 requests for assistance in the past 24 hours. Most of these requests were for fallen trees and building damage. One concerning incident involved a man allegedly threatening a driver with a machete while walking with a pram.
CitiPower and Powercor Australia are currently working to restore power to the remaining 6,700 people still without supply. The companies have reported over 470 individual fault jobs, including more than 100 fallen wires. In order to focus on restoration work, they have deployed extra crews and cancelled planned outages.
Similarly, AusNet is also working to restore power to about 38,400 customers. Yesterday, more than 180,000 people were without power due to the storm's impact on trees and power lines. Sadly, the storm turned deadly when a tree fell on a cabin and killed a 63-year-old woman while she and her husband were sleeping. Her husband was rushed to the hospital.
The couple was on holiday at the Tasman Holiday Park in Moama, NSW, near the Victoria border. The storm also caused damage to public transport and roads, leading to several train lines being suspended in Melbourne due to fallen trees on the tracks. Coaches will continue to replace trains on the V/Line Gippsland line until the damage is repaired.
The strongest wind gust recorded during the storm was 146 km/h at Wilsons Promontory, while Mount Gellibrand, Mount Hotham, and Falls Creek also experienced gusts over 130 km/h. Fortunately, the wild weather has calmed down today, with a slight chance of a shower and light winds. The city is expected to reach a high of 17 degrees, with temperatures gradually increasing over the next few days. Tomorrow will see a top of 21 degrees, and by Friday, it will be a warm 26 degrees.
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