A severe weather warning was in place for damaging winds in north-eastern alpine areas, with winds averaging between 60km/h and 70km/h, and peak gusts of more than 100km/h predicted.

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The State Control Centre reiterated the bureau’s warnings, saying: “Destructive winds, giant hail and intense rainfall are possible in the north-east and eastern parts of the northern country and north central districts.

“There is a possibility of tornadoes forming in this area. Elsewhere, damaging winds, large hail and heavy rainfall are possible across most of the state, excluding western parts of the Mallee and north-eastern parts of East Gippsland.

“Victorians are being urged to prepare for the wild weather now.”

Victoria’s state emergency service state duty officer Kate Turner urged Victorians to rethink their travel on Friday.

Severe thunderstorm warnings were also in place for the state’s west before lunchtime, but Hewes said they were “responsive” and expected to change throughout the day.

Rainfall of up to 40 millimetres was expected to hit Melbourne on Friday, but areas south-west of the city, including Avalon and Werribee, had been the hardest hit by 11am.

The Bureau of Meteorology’s Kevin Parkyn said unique winds caused supercell thunderstorms to form in western Victoria on Wednesday, dumping hail “as large as cricket balls” on the small town of Casterton.

Ahead of Friday, Parkyn warned of intense rainfall that could cause flash flooding, and destructive winds “capable of ripping trees out of the ground”.

“Unfortunately, [the storms] don’t come with a timetable; they don’t even come with a platform,” he said. “So we have to wait and see how they develop during the day.”

The bureau reiterated the flash flooding warning on Friday.

Victoria SES commander David Baker urged motorcyclists heading to the MotoGP on Phillip Island to reconsider their travel plans if they planned to be on the road on Friday afternoon.

Baker said Wednesday’s supercell storm in Casterton had caused almost 100 calls for assistance for flooding and hail damage.

“We already had precursor weather this week, which should awaken us to the risk that we may be facing with weather overnight and particularly into [Friday],” he said.

With Lachlan Abbott

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