Victoria's Surf Coast was hit by unprecedented flash floods on Thursday, with 180mm of rain falling in just six hours, washing around 20 cars into the ocean at Wye River and flooding campgrounds. The deluge, described as an 'extraordinary' weather event by the Bureau of Meteorology, caused rivers to overflow, displacing about 600 people and leaving 60 needing emergency accommodation.
Emergency Management Victoria defended the timing of warnings, stating that over 10,000 people received mobile alerts to move to higher ground. A severe thunderstorm warning was issued at 11.57am and escalated at 12.40pm, with the first triple zero call reporting flash flooding at 1.08pm. Only one injury was reported—a child airlifted from a rooftop—while police rescued a man from a shed roof and five hikers.
Lorne recorded 186.2mm of rain in 24 hours to 9am, smashing the previous record of 123.2mm set in September 2021. The Colac mayor questioned why the rainfall was not predicted earlier, but authorities maintained the response was swift given the rapid onset of the storm.
Meanwhile, Sydney braced for its 'soggiest weekend of summer', with up to 200mm of rain forecast on Saturday and Sunday. The Bureau of Meteorology warned of heavy showers, thunderstorms, and possible flash flooding in coastal areas of New South Wales, particularly the Illawarra and Sydney districts.
In southern NSW, the State Emergency Service responded to over 274 incidents in 24 hours, with 40 vehicles trapped on the Princes Highway at Eden and more than 100 people stranded at a golf club due to flooding.
