A woman in her 50s has died after a tree fell on her home in the Victorian town of Millgrove, east of Melbourne, as wild winds leave around 102,000 homes without power across the state.
Emergency services were called to the woman's Yarra Ranges home about 2pm, but she was unable to be saved.
Emergency Management Commissioner Craig Lapsley said the State Emergency Service had responded to 2400 calls for help.
“Unfortunately a woman in Millgrove lost her life due to these conditions,” he said.
“The risk is not only to the community but also to our emergency services across the board. We’ve had police vehicles and ambulances damaged, two firefighters have been injured, and we've had excessive calls for help."
Healesville, Altona, Laverton and Berwick are some of the hardest hit Melbourne suburbs with power outages.
Powercor is requesting customers to check their website for updates rather than calling their outage line unless they are in a dangerous situation.
Gusts topping 100km/h have felled more than 1200 trees, downed power lines and caused flight delays at Melbourne airport.
Winds are expected to reach their peak in Melbourne this afternoon, before easing later in the day, the Bureau of Meteorology said.
An 81-year-old woman was also rescued from her home in Tecoma when a tree branch fell on it. A man in his 70s is being treated for minor injuries after a tree fell on him at Buninyong Golf Course near Ballarat.
Two Country Fire Authority members also received minor injuries while assisting wind-battered homes - one in Healesville, and one in the Dandenongs.
Emergency service protocols have been modified in response, Mr Lapsley said.
Steve McGibbony, senior forecaster from the Bureau of Meteorology, said the approaching cold front from the west would reach Melbourne at around 8pm tonight.
“Particularly in the south west of the state, we’ve seen winds in excess of gale force which is quite significant. It’s comparable to an event in 2008, with winds averaging more than 70km/h in the south-west district and central district specifically,” he said.
The strongest wind gust recorded was 119km/h at Fawkner Beacon over Port Phillip Bay. Melbourne Airport recorded a gust of 107km/h.
A runway at the airport was re-opened shortly after midday after a Singapore Airlines cargo plane’s tail hit the runway as a result of the severe winds.
Melbourne Airport is open, however travellers should check with their individual airline whether delays will affect their services.
Powerful winds with speeds averaging 50km/h to 60km/h will develop from the west this afternoon, with gusts exceeding 120km/h in alpine areas, the BoM said.
Both Werribee Zoo and Healesville Sanctuary have been closed due to the high winds, Zoos Victoria announced this afternoon.
Areas also likely to be affected as the winds continue to develop include Mildura, Horsham, Warrnambool, Bendigo, Shepparton, Seymour, Maryborough, Ballarat, Geelong, Melbourne, Wodonga, Wangaratta, Traralgon and Bairnsdale.
Authorities have also asked people not to shelter under trees or park cars near them.
For a full list of weather warnings for Victoria click here
The State Emergency Service advises that people should:
- Move vehicles under cover or away from trees
- Secure or put away loose items around your house, yard and balcony
- Keep clear of fallen power lines