Saturday afternoon update: Melbourne has been spared the worst of the predicted deluge with the north-east of Victoria bearing the brunt of the heavy rain this afternoon.
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The SES has rescued several people trapped in their vehicles and evacuations may be necessary in parts of the state including Euroa and Myrtleford.
Falls of more than 250mm are expected in parts of Victoria over a three-day period.
Areas in the south-west of NSW are also preparing for flooding with the SES issuing a flood warning for communities along the Murrumbidgee River. Flooding is also possible on Saturday evening for the Tumut River.
Stay up to date with live updates from the Riverina region.
The Bureau of Meteorology issued the following warning on Saturday afternoon:
Earlier today:
Victorians have been warned that the worst of the forecast super storm is yet to come with Saturday expected to bring heavier downpours and more risk of flooding.
Premier Daniel Andrews advised workers on Friday afternoon to head home early and said people needed to be vigilant and take the weather warnings seriously.
"We are having significant flooding right across the state and things are set to worsen this evening and right through the weekend," Mr Andrews said.
"If you can leave work early this evening, you should. Please stay off the road network. Don't ever drive into floodwaters."
Emergency authorities said anyone labelling the rainfall a fizzer on Friday was badly underestimating the storm.
Saturday presents the real danger day with forecasts of between 100 and 250 millimetres of rain in some parts of the state.
In southern parts of NSW a number of river systems are on flood watch. On-site cabins from the Wagga Beach Caravan Park have already been moved as the city braces itself for a deluge.
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The north-east of Victoria, particularly communities along the Ovens and King rivers, face the real threat of flood on Saturday afternoon. Wangaratta, downstream, is at particular risk.
"This is an event that isn't just Friday alone. The forecast for Saturday is in the hundreds of mills and could go as high as 250 mills in the north-east," Emergency Management commissioner Craig Lapsley said on Friday afternoon. "Saturday is the day".
The CBD and inner Melbourne had between 10 and 15 millimetres of rain by about 5pm on Friday. The outer suburbs had between 20 and 40 millimetres.
Friday's rain was expected to be soaked up by the city's parks and aquifers but as the deluge continues into the weekend, rivers were expected to start flooding as the ground's ability to absorb any more rain starts to be stretched to the limits.
More than 800 calls to the SES had been made by late Friday afternoon.
VicRoads has reminded all road users of the importance of taking extreme care in difficult driving conditions:
- Drive slowly in wet weather, and do not walk, ride or drive through flood waters
- Leave a greater distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front
- Turn on your headlights
- Be alert for other road users who may be difficult to see, such as motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians
- If the rain is too heavy for your wipers to cope, the best course of action is to pull over and wait until visibility improves
- Make sure your car is safe and in a roadworthy condition – in particular, check tyres, windscreen wipers and brake lights
If you see any problems on roads, report them to the VicRoads Traffic Management Centre on 13 11 70. In an emergency call Triple Zero (000).
