Tuesday’s wild weather had the Latrobe Valley experience more than half its monthly average rainfall in 24 hours.
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, the Latrobe Valley Airport weather station recorded 36.4 millimetres of rainfall for the 24-hour period ending 9am yesterday.
The average rainfall for the month of July is 64mm.
Data reveals the southern parts of Latrobe Valley experienced the heaviest rainfall, with Boolarra and Koornalla recording about 50mm and the Jeeralangs 63mm.
Southerly wind gusts between 30 and 35 kilometres per hour were also recorded across the district.
Local pedestrian bridges, along with roads in Traralgon South and Yinnar, were closed yesterday due to flooding.
A State Emergency Service spokesperson said there were 120 state-wide requests for assistance between midnight and 3pm yesterday, with more than a third of these in the Gippsland region.
The SES’ eastern region received 17 calls for flood assistance, 20 calls regarding trees falling on roads and four calls related to building damage.
“We were reasonably busy. State-wide the number wasn’t that huge. But we normally expect most of all calls around metropolitan Melbourne and the majority came from the eastern region,” the spokesperson said.
A BoM spokesperson said Latrobe Valley residents could expect some relief in the coming days.
“The rainfall is going to be more towards Bairnsdale, there might be a little bit of rain leaking over the Latrobe Valley but on the whole you’ve probably seen by far the worst of it,” the spokesman said.
He said the region could expect another five to 10mm over the next couple of days, but things were due to clear up for the weekend ahead of the next cold front, due Sunday night.
“This front will certainly bring more shower activity over Sunday night, Monday and Tuesday,” the spokesperson said.
“In terms of rainfall, you’re not missing out but it appears you’ve seen the worst of it.”
