Melbourne mops up after monster storm
Thursday September 29, 2011 - 09:36 ESTMore delays are expected at Melbourne Airport this morning after wild storms drenched the city late yesterday.
Melbourne recorded one of its wettest September days in almost 100 years, with 48 millimetres of rain falling in the city.
The electrical storms caused disruption to air traffic and public transport, and left tens of thousands of homes without power.
Hundreds of stranded passengers spent the night at the city's Tullamarine airport after dozens of flights were cancelled.
Virgin cancelled 22 flights and Qantas had to reschedule flights for around 800 passengers.
The backlog is being cleared this morning but some flights may not get away until later afternoon.
This morning Stuart Coombs from the Weather Bureau said the thunderstorm was still passing over the state's north-east, but said it was clearing.
"I don't think we'll see anything like as much activity around today," he said this morning.
"There's only a very slight chance that we may see a thunderstorm this afternoon and if we do it will be very brief."
Almost 30,000 homes lost power and blackouts still remain in some parts of the state.
Emergency workers received 350 calls for help, with reports of trees down, flash-flooding, and some homes being struck by lightening.
The front dumped large hail stones over Mildura, and is now moving across the north-east into New South Wales.
Phil Down, who farms near Speed, says hail has damaged some wheat and barley crops in the area.
"There's parts of the heads are definitely smashed onto the ground," he said.s
Melbourne recorded one of its wettest September days in almost 100 years, with 48 millimetres of rain falling in the city.
The electrical storms caused disruption to air traffic and public transport, and left tens of thousands of homes without power.
Hundreds of stranded passengers spent the night at the city's Tullamarine airport after dozens of flights were cancelled.
Virgin cancelled 22 flights and Qantas had to reschedule flights for around 800 passengers.
The backlog is being cleared this morning but some flights may not get away until later afternoon.
This morning Stuart Coombs from the Weather Bureau said the thunderstorm was still passing over the state's north-east, but said it was clearing.
"I don't think we'll see anything like as much activity around today," he said this morning.
"There's only a very slight chance that we may see a thunderstorm this afternoon and if we do it will be very brief."
Almost 30,000 homes lost power and blackouts still remain in some parts of the state.
Emergency workers received 350 calls for help, with reports of trees down, flash-flooding, and some homes being struck by lightening.
The front dumped large hail stones over Mildura, and is now moving across the north-east into New South Wales.
Phil Down, who farms near Speed, says hail has damaged some wheat and barley crops in the area.
"There's parts of the heads are definitely smashed onto the ground," he said.s
