RSOE Emergency and Disaster Information Service

Situation Update No. 3

Posted:2010-03-06, 07:21:32 [UTC]

Ref.no.: HS-20100306-25219-AUS

Situation Update No. 3
On 2010-03-07 at 08:37:33 [UTC]

Event: Hailstorm
Location: Australia State of Victoria Melbourne

A once in a century thunderstorm swept across the southern Australian state of Victoria on Saturday, raining hailstones the size of lemons which ripped a hole in a train station roof, caused flash flooding in the capital of Melbourne and left 100,000 homes without power. The storm cell, which unleashed itself on the capital just before 3pm, dumped an inch (26mm) of rain in less than an hour as wind gusts exceeding 100km/hr lashed the city and the airport. The Southern Cross train station was evacuated as the hail stones punched holes in its roof and a deluge splashed down on the train platforms. Horse racing carnivals were abandoned, and buildings including the Docklands football stadium, a local hospital, the Victorian Arts Centre and 20 schools were damaged. Thousands of people were left stranded and up to 100,00 homes were left without power during the wild storm. Fifteen families from Melbourne and the east of Victoria were today relocated due to flooding or building damage to their homes, while more than 500 volunteers have begun to repair damaged homes. At Melbourne’s famous Flemington horseracing track, the rain poured down the stairs at the grandstand like a waterfall, according to witnesses. “It was very dark and all of a sudden it was like a hurricane or a howling wind came through,” said Josh Bell, who was in the members grandstand when the storm hit. “Marble-sized hail stones came down for about 10 minutes. The track was covered in hail. It was all white. It looked like it had snowed.” Australian Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Kevin Parkyn said the storm brought hailstones 10cm in diameter - or the size of lemons - in an event perhaps not seen since early last century. “The weather system that brought the damage to Melbourne is known in meteorological terms as a supercell thunderstorm, an organised beast of a storm that once it gets going tends to last more than your average thunderstorm,” he said.

As the mop up from Saturday’s freak storm continued in the Victorian capital today, where the temperature was a mild 22C, locals were warned to brace themselves for more wild weather which was predicted to hit in the next 24 hours. The weather bureau issued a severe thunderstorm warning and said more wind gusts of up to 100km/hr were expected to lash the state. Victorian Premier John Brumby warned people to be careful outdoors, particularity in bushfire areas where trees had become weak and unstable. “There have been no reported fatalities or serious injuries. For that we are grateful,” he said. “People really should take great care as we move through this afternoon, tonight and into tomorrow and make sure we put this focus on protecting life and protecting public safety because all the advice is that it will be a pretty difficult period.” Meanwhile in the northeastern state of Queensland, rural communities that were inundated by floodwaters last week were bracing for more floods as their rivers rose. Queensland declared a state of emergency and made emergency funds available for the communities. The Balonne River in St. George was expected to peak over the weekend at 44 feet (13.5 meters) — its highest level since records began in 1890 – as some locals stayed at a makeshift evacuation centre at the highest point in town.