SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING - Melbourne AREA
for DESTRUCTIVE WIND, FLASH FLOODING, LARGE HAILSTONES and TORNADOES
For people in the Inner, Eastern, Northern, Western and parts of the South East, Geelong and Bellarine Peninsula, Outer East and Port Phillip Local Warning Areas.
Issued at 5:19 pm Sunday, 25 December 2011.
THIS INCLUDES A TORNADO WARNING.
The Bureau of Meteorology warns that, at 5:10 pm, very dangerous thunderstorms were detected on weather radar near Bacchus Marsh, Greensborough, Hurstbridge, Lilydale, Yarra Glen and the area south of Bacchus Marsh. These thunderstorms are moving towards the east to southeast. Very dangerous thunderstorms are forecast to affect Deer Park, Healesville, Melton, St Albans, Sydenham and the area south of Melton by 5:40 pm and Craigieburn, Essendon, Footscray, Melbourne Airport, Preston and Sunbury by 6:10 pm.
Other severe thunderstorms were located near the area north of Meredith and the area west of the Brisbane Ranges. They are forecast to affect Anakie East, Brisbane Ranges, Lara, the You Yangs, the area south of the Brisbane Ranges and the area west of Werribee by 5:40 pm and eastern parts of the Bellarine Peninsula, northern parts of the Bellarine Peninsula, Portarlington, waters off Portarlington, waters off St Leonards and the area east of Lara by 6:10 pm.
Destructive winds, very heavy rainfall, flash flooding, large hailstones and tornadoes are likely.