Severe Weather Warning: Heavy Rainfall and Flash Flooding for Mallee, Wimmera, and South West Victoria

Alert Details

The Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued a Severe Weather Warning for heavy and locally intense rainfall. This high-priority alert is currently in effect for the Wimmera and parts of the Mallee and South West forecast districts in Victoria.

Affected Areas

The warning covers a broad region in western Victoria. Specific locations that may be impacted include Mildura, Horsham, Stawell, Ouyen, Warracknabeal, and Murrayville. Flood watches and warnings are also current for these areas.

What You Should Do

The State Emergency Service (SES) advises residents to take the following precautions:

• If driving conditions become dangerous, safely pull over away from trees, drains, and low-lying areas. Avoid travel if possible.
• Stay away from hazards such as floodwater, mud, debris, and fallen trees.
• Secure loose outdoor items, including furniture and umbrellas, and move vehicles under cover.
• Stay indoors and away from windows. If caught outdoors, seek shelter immediately away from drains and waterways.
• Assume all fallen powerlines are live and stay clear.
• In fire-affected areas, be alert for landslides and debris in waterways as rainfall run-off may contain ash, soil, and rocks.

Expected Conditions

A moist northeasterly flow is expected to bring a broad region of rain with embedded thunderstorms. Heavy rainfall may lead to flash flooding, with six-hourly rainfall totals between 30 to 50 mm possible. In the western Mallee and northwest Wimmera, locally intense rainfall could result in dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding, with six-hourly totals reaching 50 to 70 mm.

Timeline

The hazardous conditions are forecast to begin tonight, Saturday, February 28. While rain rates may ease temporarily during the day on Sunday, they are expected to increase again late Sunday evening and into Monday with the approach of a cold front.