Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
EMERGENCY services were kept busy at the weekend when wild weather ripped through the central Victorian region.
Temperatures soared to the high 30s on Saturday with Bendigo hitting a top of 38.4 degrees about 5pm.
Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Dean Stewart said the region experienced a strong wind change just after 5pm on Saturday.
He said the wind changed from a northerly to a strong south-westerly with temperatures dropping to 23 degrees.
"Bendigo experienced its strongest wind gust about 6.20pm which was 74km/h," he said.
"Between 4pm and 7pm the wind gust average was 40km/h before easing off to about 30-35km/h."
The State Emergency Service received more than 40 calls from residents reporting fallen trees.
SES member and relations officer Natalie Stanway said crews were called to a fallen limb at the Rising Sun Hotel about 5pm.
Ms Stanway said the limb had fallen across Barnard Street and blocked a lane.
"When the limb had fallen it had opened up and there was a bee hive," she said.
"We had to gently cut the limb and remove it from the road."
Traffic was diverted from Carpenter Street in Quarry Hill after a tree fell into power lines.
Flora Hill resident Sharon Bryant said her next-door neighbour's carport was damaged when a tree fell in Carolin Street.
"The wind sounded like a freight train," she said.
The Country Fire Authority was called to a number of fires around central Victoria across the weekend.
Fires burned in Sedgwick, Ladys Pass, Strathallan, Simson, Maldon and Eaglehawk.
CFA operations officer Bruce Quarrier said crews worked throughout the day on Saturday to control the burns.
"Prior to Saturday we had done all our pre-planning which helped," he said.
"All crews did a great job."
madeleine.wines@fairfaxmedia.com.au
