2010 Victorian storms
Encyclopedia
The 2010 Victorian storms were a series of storm
s that passed through much of the Australia
n state of Victoria
on 6 March and 7 March 2010. One of the most severe storms passed directly over Greater Melbourne, bringing lightning
, flash flooding, very large hail
and strong wind
s to the state's capital. It was described as a "mini-cyclone".
The larger of the storms brought heavy rain and large hail, which led to flash flooding, disrupting transport in central Melbourne and central Victoria throughout the weekend. Many residential buildings were damaged, most due to hail and heavy rain. Some major buildings were evacuated including Flinders Street
and Southern Cross Station
s, several major shopping centres, civic buildings and Docklands Stadium. The storms occurred during the Victorian Labour Day long weekend
and affected a number of sporting events and festivals, many of which were postponed or cancelled. On average, hail was between 2 centimetre (0.78740157480315 in) and 5 centimetres (2 in), while at Ferntree Gully
in Melbourne's east, hail of up to 10 centimetres (3.9 in) was reported.
During the weekend of 6 and 7 March, Melbourne experienced 61 millimetres (2.4 in) of rainfall, more than the entire March average of 50 millimetres (2 in). Twenty people were treated by paramedic
s for hail-related injuries at the Moomba
Festival, and many more people suffered minor hail-induced injuries of cuts and bruises. At least 50 families, likely many more, were relocated to temporary accommodation. Extensive storms and flash flooding also affected Melbourne only weeks beforehand on 11 February 2010 and on 31 December 2009, while fellow capital city Perth
suffered a similar fate on 22 March 2010
. As soon as the city recovered, Another flash flood affected the Melbourne metropolitan area three weeks later on the morning of 29 March.
, lightning
, heavy rain
, very large hail
and high wind
s. Nineteen millimetres of rain fell in less than 18 minutes.
The storm cell arrived in central Melbourne at around 2:40 pm, where the city experienced 19 millimetre (0.748031496062992 in) of rain in less than 18 minutes, 26 millimetres (1 in) of rain within 60 minutes and 33 millimetres (1.3 in) in 90 minutes. Wind speeds of over 100 km/h (62 mph) were recorded at Melbourne Airport, and 40 millimetres (1.6 in) of rain was recorded at Rockbank, west of Melbourne. 44 millimetres (1.7 in) of rain fell at Monbulk
in Melbourne's east and 62 millimetres (2.4 in) fell at Maribyrnong
in the city's west.
Hail in the city and western suburbs was "the size of golf ball
s", whilst hail in the inner east was said to be "marble
sized". Other areas experienced hail the "size of cricket ball
s", around 5 cm diameter. In many areas, piles of hail caused disruptions to traffic and sporting events, amongst other things. Hail also affected the many deciduous trees in Melbourne, shredding leaves off the trees which were then taken away by flood waters.
Ambient light in Melbourne decreased significantly throughout the storm, cloud colour was described as "very dark grey to black".
During the storms of 6 and 7 March, Melbourne alone experienced 61 millimetres (2.4 in) of rainfall, more than the entire March average of 50 millimetres (2 in).
On 8 and 9 March, a further 1,200 calls were received as residents arrived back from long weekend holidays to damaged property. At least 80 Emergency Service personnel from New South Wales and South Australia were enacted to help the Victorian SES cope with the unprecedented demand. The SES anticipated finishing the storm clean up a full week after the storms.
Festival on the banks of the Yarra River
for hail stone-related injuries. There were reports of parents shielding children with their own bodies, bin lids and other items.
Some competing horses at Flemington Racecourse were also injured. The Lort Smith Animal Hospital treated a number of injured animals and the number of lost dogs tripled, with the Lost Dogs' Home
at North Melbourne and RSPCA
at Burwood
experiencing their busiest periods since New Year's Eve
.
Further injuries were incurred following the storms as people attempted to repair storm damaged homes, including falls from ladders and roofs.
Several major buildings in the city were damaged and evacuated, including Southern Cross Station
, evacuated primarily due to a roofing collapse; and Flinders Street Station
, evacuated primarily due to flooding. The Highpoint Shopping Centre
, Chadstone Shopping Centre
and The Jam Factory
were also evacuated. Docklands Stadium was evacuated when roofing at Gate 3 collapsed. Media House and the ABC Headquarters in Southbank were also damaged with roofing collapses. The Melbourne Theatre Company's new building was inundated with water, resulting in the cancellation of several performances for the days following. Neighbouring Melbourne Recital Centre also suffered damage with flooding of internal spaces and hail damage to windows and signage. The roof of The Arts Centre
was badly hit, with Premier John Brumby
stating that to repair "The damage bill will clearly run to the hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars". Crown Casino was severely affected with its Village Cinema being closed as a result of flooding as well as banks of gaming tables and machines being cordoned off due to leaks.
Fifty families were relocated by Government authorities to temporary accommodation. Knox City Council set up a disaster relief centre to provide assistance and accommodation for residents with damaged homes.
Elizabeth Street
in the city, situated on a natural watercourse
, was completely flooded as water travelled southwards down the hill towards the Yarra River
. The Elizabeth Street floodwaters inundated vehicles and several tram
s. Streets were flooded throughout Melbourne, Southbank, Docklands, South Melbourne and other areas. Roads remained closed in the city centre into the evening. Both the Domain and Burnley tunnels were closed due to flooding, causing traffic on the West Gate Freeway to stop.
Trains initially stopped running between and to Flinders Street and Southern Cross Stations. The entire Hurstbridge line was suspended due to storm damage. There were cancellations on the Belgrave, Epping, Frankston, Sandringham, and Werribee lines and the Upfield line also experienced delays due to storm damage.
Several trams ceased services in the city for the afternoon due to flooding, slowly reopening into the early evening.
One plane was forced to circle for nearly an hour when the storm struck, and three more were diverted to other airports.
At the height of the storm 100 traffic lights were disabled.
Piles of hail and flooding affected racing at Flemington Racecourse
, the Australian Guineas
and the Australian Cup
were both postponed until the following weekend after the track was declared unsafe for racing. Jockey Damien Oliver said that "there was 25mm of ice on the track and another 50mm of water".
The Moomba
Festival celebrations, musical events and fireworks were cancelled after hail injured participants, paramedics treated 20 people in attendance.
lowered their earnings forecast as payouts related to the storm rose, increasing its budget for natural disaster costs by approximately $105 million dollars. At that stage the price tag for the storm was at $256 million dollars and IAG and other insurers, including Suncorp were likely to reach their maximum event retention level in relation to the storm. International insurer Platinum Underwriters Holdings Ltd expected an $85 million lost from catastrophes including the Chile earthquake, winter storms in Europe and the United States, and the Melbourne hail storm.
The Melbourne Theatre Company
had to refund $100,000 in ticket sales due to six lost productions, the Malthouse Theatre also lost productions. Melbourne University's School of Art in St Kilda Road was forced to remain closed all week due to flood damage.
Storm
A storm is any disturbed state of an astronomical body's atmosphere, especially affecting its surface, and strongly implying severe weather...
s that passed through much of the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n state of Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
on 6 March and 7 March 2010. One of the most severe storms passed directly over Greater Melbourne, bringing lightning
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
, flash flooding, very large hail
Hail
Hail is a form of solid precipitation. It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is referred to as a hail stone. Hail stones on Earth consist mostly of water ice and measure between and in diameter, with the larger stones coming from severe thunderstorms...
and strong wind
Wind
Wind is the flow of gases on a large scale. On Earth, wind consists of the bulk movement of air. In outer space, solar wind is the movement of gases or charged particles from the sun through space, while planetary wind is the outgassing of light chemical elements from a planet's atmosphere into space...
s to the state's capital. It was described as a "mini-cyclone".
The larger of the storms brought heavy rain and large hail, which led to flash flooding, disrupting transport in central Melbourne and central Victoria throughout the weekend. Many residential buildings were damaged, most due to hail and heavy rain. Some major buildings were evacuated including Flinders Street
Flinders Street Station
Flinders Street Station is the central railway station of the suburban railway network of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is on the corner of Flinders and Swanston Streets next to the Yarra River in the heart of the city, stretching from Swanston Street to Queen Street and covering two city...
and Southern Cross Station
Southern Cross Station
Southern Cross is a major railway station and transport hub in Melbourne Docklands, Victoria, Australia. It is located on Spencer Street between Collins and La Trobe Streets at the western edge of the central business district...
s, several major shopping centres, civic buildings and Docklands Stadium. The storms occurred during the Victorian Labour Day long weekend
Long weekend
Long weekend is a term used in Western countries to denote a weekend that is at least three days long , due to a holiday falling on either the Friday or Monday....
and affected a number of sporting events and festivals, many of which were postponed or cancelled. On average, hail was between 2 centimetre (0.78740157480315 in) and 5 centimetres (2 in), while at Ferntree Gully
Ferntree Gully, Victoria
Ferntree Gully is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in the Dandenong Ranges, 29 km east from Melbourne's central business district. It is in the Local Government Area's of the Shire of Yarra Ranges and the City of Knox...
in Melbourne's east, hail of up to 10 centimetres (3.9 in) was reported.
During the weekend of 6 and 7 March, Melbourne experienced 61 millimetres (2.4 in) of rainfall, more than the entire March average of 50 millimetres (2 in). Twenty people were treated by paramedic
Paramedic
A paramedic is a healthcare professional that works in emergency medical situations. Paramedics provide advanced levels of care for medical emergencies and trauma. The majority of paramedics are based in the field in ambulances, emergency response vehicles, or in specialist mobile units such as...
s for hail-related injuries at the Moomba
Moomba
Moomba is Australia's largest free community festival and one of the longest running festivals in Australia. Held annually in the city of Melbourne, Australia, Moomba is celebrated during the Labour Day long weekend , and has been celebrated since 1955...
Festival, and many more people suffered minor hail-induced injuries of cuts and bruises. At least 50 families, likely many more, were relocated to temporary accommodation. Extensive storms and flash flooding also affected Melbourne only weeks beforehand on 11 February 2010 and on 31 December 2009, while fellow capital city Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
suffered a similar fate on 22 March 2010
2010 Western Australian storms
The 2010 Western Australian storms were a series of storms that travelled over south-western Western Australia on 21 and 22 March 2010. One of the more intense storm cells passed directly over the capital city of Perth between 3:30pm and 5:00pm on Monday 22 March 2010...
. As soon as the city recovered, Another flash flood affected the Melbourne metropolitan area three weeks later on the morning of 29 March.
Storm overview
In the days before the storm, a large mass of warm, humid, air had passed down from Queensland, where it had caused record flooding in southern Queensland. This warm mass of air clashed with a cold low pressure system coming from the west. The resulting storms involved rotating winds around the low pressure centre, which acted like a "mini-cyclone" according to Bureau of Meteorology forecaster, Scott Williams. These storms swept through Victoria from northwest to southeast from 6 to 7 March. Heavy rain and strong winds continued into 8 March.6 March
The storms developed from a low pressure system to the west of Victoria, generating thunderstorms during the morning of 6 March, which began travelling across the state roughly from northwest to southeast, passing directly through central Melbourne at around 2:40 pm. Multiple storm cells existed, one in Western Victoria and another in Central Victoria and Melbourne, other mostly rain-bearing systems passed through the state throughout the night. At the storm's peak, a 400 kilometres (248.5 mi) band of rain and hail stretched across the state moving in a southeasterly direction. The storm cells generated thunderThunder
Thunder is the sound made by lightning. Depending on the nature of the lightning and distance of the listener, thunder can range from a sharp, loud crack to a long, low rumble . The sudden increase in pressure and temperature from lightning produces rapid expansion of the air surrounding and within...
, lightning
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
, heavy rain
Rain
Rain is liquid precipitation, as opposed to non-liquid kinds of precipitation such as snow, hail and sleet. Rain requires the presence of a thick layer of the atmosphere to have temperatures above the melting point of water near and above the Earth's surface...
, very large hail
Hail
Hail is a form of solid precipitation. It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is referred to as a hail stone. Hail stones on Earth consist mostly of water ice and measure between and in diameter, with the larger stones coming from severe thunderstorms...
and high wind
Wind
Wind is the flow of gases on a large scale. On Earth, wind consists of the bulk movement of air. In outer space, solar wind is the movement of gases or charged particles from the sun through space, while planetary wind is the outgassing of light chemical elements from a planet's atmosphere into space...
s. Nineteen millimetres of rain fell in less than 18 minutes.
7 March
Moderate to heavy rain continued throughout the evening and into 7 March. Further storms passed through Victoria on 7 March bringing heavy rain to most areas and flash flooding in some areas, though not to the same extent as the 6 March storm. Heavy rain fell throughout the night of 7 March and into 8 March, particularly affecting north central Victoria, where strong wind felled many trees.Timeline
6 March:- 8:00 am—Storm forms in north west Victoria
- 12:00 pm—Storm matures just before hitting Bendigo and a severe thunderstorm warning issued for Melbourne.
- 1:30 pm—Storm arrives at Bendigo
- 2.25 pm—Storm arrives at Melton, St Albans, Sunbury and Werribee
- 2:40 pm—Storm arrives at central Melbourne
- 3:00 pm—Storm arrives at Caulfield, Craigieburn, Footscray, Glen Waverley, Greensborough and Preston.
- 3:10 pm—Storm arrives at Scoresby with hail the "size of cricket balls"
Affected areas
The storms affected much of the state, mostly western and central Victoria but also extending into western and southern New South Wales.- BendigoBendigo, VictoriaBendigo is a major regional city in the state of Victoria, Australia, located very close to the geographical centre of the state and approximately north west of the state capital Melbourne. It is the second largest inland city and fourth most populous city in the state. The estimated urban...
—On 6 March, 50 millimetres (2 in) of rain fell causing flash flooding. By 1:30 pm, the Victorian State Emergency ServiceState Emergency ServiceA State Emergency Service is an Australian volunteer organisation that provides emergency help during and after declared disasters. The SES is also the primary or secondary agency for emergencies, such as storm damage,flood damage, building damage, traffic hazards and road crash rescue...
had responded to 140 calls for help. A house was evacuated in Bendigo as it became inundated. - SheppartonShepparton, VictoriaShepparton is a city located on the floodplain of the Goulburn River in the north east of Victoria, Australia approximately north-east of Melbourne. It is the fifth largest city in Victoria, Australia. The estimated population of Shepparton's statistical area is 48,926.It began as a sheep station...
—On the night of 7 March, heavy rain, strong winds and tornadoes caused flash flooding, widespread damage to buildings and felled many trees. - Central Darling ShireCentral Darling ShireCentral Darling Shire is a Local Government Area in the Far West of New South Wales, Australia on the Barrier Highway. Central Darling Shire was constituted in 1959 and it is the largest Local Government Area in New South Wales.-Incomes:...
—estimated that 150 km of road was damaged by the resulting floods. - Junee Shire—Main southern railway lineMain Southern railway line, New South WalesThe Main Southern Railway is a major railway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs through the Southern Highlands, Southern Tablelands, South West Slopes and the Riverina regions.- Description of route :...
was damaged at HarefieldHarefield, New South WalesHarefield is a locality in New South Wales, Australia. It in the central east part of the Riverina and situated about 11 kilometres south from Junee and 35 kilometres north by road from Wagga Wagga....
cutting rain services between Junee and Melbourne and Cootamundra and Melbourne. - City of Wagga WaggaCity of Wagga WaggaThe Wagga Wagga City Council was formed from the amalgamation of City of Wagga Wagga with Mitchell and Kyeamba Shires in 1981. 22 December 2009, Wagga Wagga City Council announced that Phil Pinyon would be appointed as the General Manager of the Wagga Wagga City Council after Lyn Russell, who...
—Parts of the Local Government Area (LGA) experienced flash flooding after 110.4 millimetres (4.3 in) of rain fell at the airportWagga Wagga AirportWagga Wagga Airport , is located adjacent to RAAF Base Wagga, in New South Wales, Australia. The airfield is an operational base, but is leased by the Wagga Wagga City Council on a 30 year lease from the Australian Department of Defence, with RAAF Base Wagga being a ground training base...
, which was the wettest day ever recorded in the city. Twenty people from LadysmithLadysmith, New South WalesLadysmith is a village approximately 19 km east of Wagga Wagga in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. At the 2006 census, Ladysmith had a population of 205 people....
were evacuated after Kyeamba Creek bursts its banks after 200 millimetres (7.9 in) of rain fell. An estimated 100 tonnes (98.4 LT) of grain and 200 kilometres (124.3 mi) of fencing washed away by the floods in the City of Wagga Wagga LGALocal Government AreaA local government area is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a state, province, division, or territory....
.
Greater Melbourne
Although Greater Melbourne was affected by storms through 6 and 7 March, the most damaging storm cell passed over Melbourne between 2 and 5 pm on 6 March, affecting all areas to varying degrees, bringing heavy rain and flash flooding, high winds and large hail. The storm affected transportation, sporting events and festivals. Several buildings were damaged and evacuated. Many people received minor injuries from hail.The storm cell arrived in central Melbourne at around 2:40 pm, where the city experienced 19 millimetre (0.748031496062992 in) of rain in less than 18 minutes, 26 millimetres (1 in) of rain within 60 minutes and 33 millimetres (1.3 in) in 90 minutes. Wind speeds of over 100 km/h (62 mph) were recorded at Melbourne Airport, and 40 millimetres (1.6 in) of rain was recorded at Rockbank, west of Melbourne. 44 millimetres (1.7 in) of rain fell at Monbulk
Monbulk, Victoria
Monbulk is a satellite town & suburb of Melbourne located 42 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges. At the 2006 Census, Monbulk had a population of 2715.-History:...
in Melbourne's east and 62 millimetres (2.4 in) fell at Maribyrnong
Maribyrnong, Victoria
Maribyrnong is a suburb 8 km north-west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Maribyrnong, part of River Ward. At the 2006 Census, Maribyrnong had a population of 8242....
in the city's west.
Hail in the city and western suburbs was "the size of golf ball
Golf ball
A golf ball is a ball designed to be used in the game of golf.Under the Rules of Golf, a golf ball weighs no more than 1.620 oz , has a diameter not less than 1.680 in , and performs within specified velocity, distance, and symmetry limits...
s", whilst hail in the inner east was said to be "marble
Marble (toy)
A marble is a small spherical toy usually made from glass, clay, steel, or agate. These balls vary in size. Most commonly, they are about ½ inch in diameter, but they may range from less than ¼ inch to over 3 inches , while some art glass marbles fordisplay purposes are over 12 inches ...
sized". Other areas experienced hail the "size of cricket ball
Cricket ball
A cricket ball is a hard, solid leather ball used to play cricket. Constructed of cork and leather, a cricket ball is heavily regulated by cricket law at first class level...
s", around 5 cm diameter. In many areas, piles of hail caused disruptions to traffic and sporting events, amongst other things. Hail also affected the many deciduous trees in Melbourne, shredding leaves off the trees which were then taken away by flood waters.
Ambient light in Melbourne decreased significantly throughout the storm, cloud colour was described as "very dark grey to black".
During the storms of 6 and 7 March, Melbourne alone experienced 61 millimetres (2.4 in) of rainfall, more than the entire March average of 50 millimetres (2 in).
Effects
By 1:30 pm, the State Emergency Service had responded to 140 calls for help, this increased to 200 calls by 3:45 pm. By the late afternoon, over 1,000 calls for help had been received, with just over 800 originating from the Melbourne metro area. By 7:00 pm, around 2,500 calls had been received, mostly from residents whose roofs had collapsed and houses that had flooded. Throughout the entire weekend of 6 and 7 March, over 3,500 calls for help were received.On 8 and 9 March, a further 1,200 calls were received as residents arrived back from long weekend holidays to damaged property. At least 80 Emergency Service personnel from New South Wales and South Australia were enacted to help the Victorian SES cope with the unprecedented demand. The SES anticipated finishing the storm clean up a full week after the storms.
Injuries
Many people suffered injuries from hail stones. Although the exact numbers are unknown, most received cuts and bruises. Two people were admitted to intensive care with serious injuries. Paramedics treated around 20 people attending the MoombaMoomba
Moomba is Australia's largest free community festival and one of the longest running festivals in Australia. Held annually in the city of Melbourne, Australia, Moomba is celebrated during the Labour Day long weekend , and has been celebrated since 1955...
Festival on the banks of the Yarra River
Yarra River
The Yarra River, originally Birrarung, is a river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches...
for hail stone-related injuries. There were reports of parents shielding children with their own bodies, bin lids and other items.
Some competing horses at Flemington Racecourse were also injured. The Lort Smith Animal Hospital treated a number of injured animals and the number of lost dogs tripled, with the Lost Dogs' Home
Lost Dogs Home
The Lost Dogs’ Home is an Australian organization with shelters and pounds in both Victoria and New South Wales. It was established in 1910 to provide a temporary home for Melbourne’s lost and starving dogs. Today The Lost Dogs’ Home cares for more than twenty-one thousand lost, stray, injured and...
at North Melbourne and RSPCA
RSPCA Australia
RSPCA Australia is an Australian organisation that promotes animal welfare. It is funded in part by the Australian Government but relies on corporate sponsorship, fundraising events and voluntary donations for its income.RSPCA Australia defines its purpose as being the leading authority in animal...
at Burwood
Burwood, Victoria
Burwood is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 17 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is largely the City of Whitehorse but includes the City of Monash in its south west corner. At the 2006 Census, Burwood had a population of 11,886.-History:The...
experiencing their busiest periods since New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
.
Further injuries were incurred following the storms as people attempted to repair storm damaged homes, including falls from ladders and roofs.
Building and property damage
Many residential dwellings were damaged, some estimates suggest around 2,000, primarily due to overloaded guttering causing roofing leaks and collapses; others were damaged due to flooding, water damage, hail window damage and wind damage. The Insurance Council of Australia declared the storm damage a "catastrophe". By 17 March 2010 more than 40,000 insurance claims had been lodged, worth at least $500 million dollars.Several major buildings in the city were damaged and evacuated, including Southern Cross Station
Southern Cross Station
Southern Cross is a major railway station and transport hub in Melbourne Docklands, Victoria, Australia. It is located on Spencer Street between Collins and La Trobe Streets at the western edge of the central business district...
, evacuated primarily due to a roofing collapse; and Flinders Street Station
Flinders Street Station
Flinders Street Station is the central railway station of the suburban railway network of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is on the corner of Flinders and Swanston Streets next to the Yarra River in the heart of the city, stretching from Swanston Street to Queen Street and covering two city...
, evacuated primarily due to flooding. The Highpoint Shopping Centre
Highpoint Shopping Centre
Highpoint Shopping Centre is a major shopping centre located in Maribyrnong, Victoria, in the western suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The centre has over 400 stores including a four-level Myer department store, Target, Big W, Harris Scarfe, Safeway supermarket, Best and Less, Rebel...
, Chadstone Shopping Centre
Chadstone Shopping Centre
Chadstone Shopping Centre is a super regional shopping centre located in the inner south-eastern suburb of Malvern East in the city of Melbourne, Australia...
and The Jam Factory
The Jam Factory
right|thumb|250px|Jam Factory, Chapel StreetThe Jam Factory is a shopping and entertainment centre, located in cosmopolitan Chapel Street, South Yarra, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. The centre contains a Village Cinema complex, Intencity arcade, fashion stores and numerous cafés and...
were also evacuated. Docklands Stadium was evacuated when roofing at Gate 3 collapsed. Media House and the ABC Headquarters in Southbank were also damaged with roofing collapses. The Melbourne Theatre Company's new building was inundated with water, resulting in the cancellation of several performances for the days following. Neighbouring Melbourne Recital Centre also suffered damage with flooding of internal spaces and hail damage to windows and signage. The roof of The Arts Centre
The Arts Centre (Melbourne)
The Victorian Arts Centre is a performing arts centre consisting of a complex of theatres and concert halls in the Melbourne Arts Precinct, located in the inner Melbourne suburb of Southbank in Victoria, Australia....
was badly hit, with Premier John Brumby
John Brumby
John Mansfield Brumby , is an Australian Labor Party politician who was Premier of Victoria from 2007 to 2010. He became Premier after the resignation of Steve Bracks. He also served as the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and the Minister for Multicultural Affairs. He contested his first election...
stating that to repair "The damage bill will clearly run to the hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars". Crown Casino was severely affected with its Village Cinema being closed as a result of flooding as well as banks of gaming tables and machines being cordoned off due to leaks.
Fifty families were relocated by Government authorities to temporary accommodation. Knox City Council set up a disaster relief centre to provide assistance and accommodation for residents with damaged homes.
Transportation
Transport in central Melbourne was severely affected by the storms, specifically due to flash flooding and piles of hail, causing disruptions to traffic, the cancellation of tram and train services and the evacuation of Southern Cross Station, one of the largest passenger rail stations in Victoria.Elizabeth Street
Elizabeth Street, Melbourne
Elizabeth Street is one of the main north-south streets in the central business district of Melbourne, Australia, part of the Hoddle Grid laid out in 1837.- Geography :...
in the city, situated on a natural watercourse
Watercourse
A watercourse is any flowing body of water. These include rivers, streams, anabranches, and so forth.-See also:* physical geography* Environmental flow* Waterway* Hydrology* Wadi-External links:...
, was completely flooded as water travelled southwards down the hill towards the Yarra River
Yarra River
The Yarra River, originally Birrarung, is a river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches...
. The Elizabeth Street floodwaters inundated vehicles and several tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
s. Streets were flooded throughout Melbourne, Southbank, Docklands, South Melbourne and other areas. Roads remained closed in the city centre into the evening. Both the Domain and Burnley tunnels were closed due to flooding, causing traffic on the West Gate Freeway to stop.
Trains initially stopped running between and to Flinders Street and Southern Cross Stations. The entire Hurstbridge line was suspended due to storm damage. There were cancellations on the Belgrave, Epping, Frankston, Sandringham, and Werribee lines and the Upfield line also experienced delays due to storm damage.
Several trams ceased services in the city for the afternoon due to flooding, slowly reopening into the early evening.
One plane was forced to circle for nearly an hour when the storm struck, and three more were diverted to other airports.
At the height of the storm 100 traffic lights were disabled.
Utilities
100,000 houses were without power in Melbourne and 20,000 across the state during the height of the storm.Event cancellations
Two NAB pre-season cup AFL matches were affected by the storms. A match between St. Kilda and Fremantle was initially cancelled but later revised to a later start time due to damage to Docklands Stadium. Another match between Brisbane Lions and Geelong Cats at Visy Park, Carlton was cancelled due to lightning and heavy rain.Piles of hail and flooding affected racing at Flemington Racecourse
Flemington Racecourse
Flemington Racecourse is a major horse racing venue located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is most notable for hosting the Melbourne Cup, which is Australia's richest horse race. The racecourse is situated on low alluvial flats, next to the Maribyrnong River...
, the Australian Guineas
Australian Guineas
The Australian Guineas is a VRC Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race for three year olds, run at set weights, over a distance of 1600 metres at Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne in March...
and the Australian Cup
Australian Cup
The Australian Cup is a Group 1 Weight for Age race for Thoroughbred racehorses run over 2000 metres, at Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia in March...
were both postponed until the following weekend after the track was declared unsafe for racing. Jockey Damien Oliver said that "there was 25mm of ice on the track and another 50mm of water".
The Moomba
Moomba
Moomba is Australia's largest free community festival and one of the longest running festivals in Australia. Held annually in the city of Melbourne, Australia, Moomba is celebrated during the Labour Day long weekend , and has been celebrated since 1955...
Festival celebrations, musical events and fireworks were cancelled after hail injured participants, paramedics treated 20 people in attendance.
Insurance industry
A week after the storm IAGInsurance Australia Group
Insurance Australia Group Limited is an Australian publicly-listed company with its shares traded on the Australian Stock Exchange as ....
lowered their earnings forecast as payouts related to the storm rose, increasing its budget for natural disaster costs by approximately $105 million dollars. At that stage the price tag for the storm was at $256 million dollars and IAG and other insurers, including Suncorp were likely to reach their maximum event retention level in relation to the storm. International insurer Platinum Underwriters Holdings Ltd expected an $85 million lost from catastrophes including the Chile earthquake, winter storms in Europe and the United States, and the Melbourne hail storm.
Car dealerships
As a result of the storm, hundreds of cars damaged by hail were expected to be sold for large savings at showrooms and auction houses around Melbourne. One dealer stated that his cars would have to be sold for 20% off their list price due to hail damage on boots, bonnets and roofs. Another said that such a sell-off had "never occurred before in [his] 35 years in the industry".Arts
The Australian Ballet experienced unprecedented leaks, with 48 years of costumes being damaged and most productions being affected in some way.The Melbourne Theatre Company
Melbourne Theatre Company
The Melbourne Theatre Company is a theatre company based in Melbourne. Founded in 1953, it is the oldest professional theatre company in Australia, and has its own theatre, The MTC Theatre – which houses the 500-seat Sumner Theatre and the 150-seat Lawler Studio – located in Melbourne's Arts...
had to refund $100,000 in ticket sales due to six lost productions, the Malthouse Theatre also lost productions. Melbourne University's School of Art in St Kilda Road was forced to remain closed all week due to flood damage.
See also
- Floods in AustraliaFloods in AustraliaThis is a list of notable recorded floods that have occurred in the country of Australia.-Further reading:* Devin, L.B. and D.L. Purcell Flooding in Australia Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service ISBN 0644026278 : .-External links:* .* ....
- Severe storms in AustraliaSevere storms in AustraliaSevere storms in Australia refers to the storms, including cyclones, which have caused severe damage in Australia.The first storm recorded in Australia was a shipwreck in 1622.-Australian Capital Territory:...
- Extreme Weather Events in MelbourneExtreme weather events in Melbournethumb|right|300px|A church destroyed by the 1918 Brighton tornadoExtreme weather events in Melbourne, Australia have occurred on multiple occasions...
- Similar events:
- 2010 Western Australian storms2010 Western Australian stormsThe 2010 Western Australian storms were a series of storms that travelled over south-western Western Australia on 21 and 22 March 2010. One of the more intense storm cells passed directly over the capital city of Perth between 3:30pm and 5:00pm on Monday 22 March 2010...
- 2003 Melbourne thunderstorm2003 Melbourne thunderstormThe 2003 Melbourne thunderstorm was a severe weather event that occurred over the city of Melbourne, Australia, and surrounding areas of Victoria, from 1 December to 6 December 2003...
- 2005 Melbourne thunderstorm2005 Melbourne ThunderstormThe 2005 Melbourne Thunderstorm was a severe weather event that occurred between 2 February and 3 February 2005 which produced 120 mm of rain in Melbourne, the highest total since records began. Every suburb in Melbourne, parts of eastern Victoria and the Geelong/Bellarine Peninsula were...