Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Melbourne Area: Intense Rainfall and Flash Flooding Threat
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a high-priority warning for Melbourne's outer north west and outer east as slow-moving thunderstorms bring life-threatening flash flooding risks.
Alert Details
Type: Severe Thunderstorm Warning (IDV21035) Issued by: Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) Priority: Top Priority for Immediate Broadcast
Affected Areas
This warning applies to the Melbourne Area, specifically parts of the Northern, Outer East, Inner East, South East, and Western Local Warning Areas. Specific locations identified in the path of the storm include:
- Gisborne, Gembrook, and Belgrave
- Yarra Junction
- Sunbury
- Areas north, northeast, and east of Pakenham
What You Should Do
The State Emergency Service (SES) advises the following actions for residents in the warning zone:
- Stay Indoors: Move to a safe place indoors and stay away from windows, trees, drains, gutters, creeks, and waterways.
- Driving Safety: If driving conditions become dangerous, safely pull over away from trees, drains, and low-lying areas. Avoid travel if possible and never drive through floodwater.
- Secure Property: Ensure loose outdoor items such as umbrellas, trampolines, and outdoor furniture are secured. Move vehicles under cover or away from trees.
- Avoid Hazards: Stay away from fallen powerlines and assume they are live. Be aware that recent storms or heat may have made trees unstable.
- Stay Informed: Monitor weather updates via the BOM website and VicEmergency app.
Expected Conditions
Very dangerous, slow-moving thunderstorms have been detected, capable of producing intense rainfall that may lead to dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding.
Recent rainfall observations include:
- Lilydale Lake: 44.0 mm recorded in the 60 minutes leading up to 5:00 pm.
- Mt Evelyn: 21.6 mm recorded in the 30 minutes leading up to 5:00 pm.
Timeline
- Issued: 5:21 pm Friday, 27 February 2026
- 5:45 pm Forecast: Storms expected to affect Yarra Junction and areas north/northeast of Pakenham.
- 6:15 pm Forecast: Storms expected to affect Sunbury, the area east of Gisborne, and the area east of Pakenham.
- Next Update: Scheduled to be issued by 6:25 pm.
Source: BOM Official Notice