The area warned of severe weather has been expanded, and now covers all of central Victoria.

Damaging winds of up to 90 km/h, accompanied by showers and thunderstorms, are possible across the region on Saturday afternoon.

Update, Saturday 8.40am:

A severe weather warning is still in place for most of central Victoria.

A cold front over the region will clear on Saturday morning, leaving a cold, gusty airstream in its wake.

Showers and thunderstorms could produce damaging winds of up to 90 km/h over central Victoria on Saturday afternoon.

Strong wind gusts are expected to persist into Sunday in parts of the region, especially about the ranges.

Update: Friday, 2:22pm

Cold, squally damaging winds with gusts of around 90km/h are expected to hit central Victoria this weekend. 

Kerang, Bendigo, Maryborough, Heathcote, Castlemaine, Daylesford are expected to be affected.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for damaging winds, predicting that northerly winds are expected to strengthen ahead of a cold front that will cross Victoria on Friday night and Saturday morning.

Local showers and thunderstorms will possibly produce damaging wind gusts of around 90 km/h over parts of central Victoria during Saturday afternoon, the BOM said.

It predicted that damaging winds averaging 60 to 70 km/h with peak gusts of around 100 km/h are expected to develop over Alpine areas of eastern Victoria during the early hours of Saturday morning.

The BOM said that strong wind gusts are likely to persist into Sunday through parts of central and eastern Victoria, particularly about the coast and ranges.

Sheep graziers have been warned that low temperatures, showers and strong westerly winds are expected during Saturday with a risk of losses of lambs and sheep exposed to these conditions.

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; 

Earlier

Be prepared for a chilly weekend with the odd chance of hail and thunder as very cold air passes across the state.

While Sunday will see snowfalls down to 500 metres in parts of Victoria, Mount Alexander is unlikely to see any, according to Dean Stewart, senior forecaster at the Bureau of Meteorology.

Any snow that falls is likely to do so to the east of Melbourne.

By the time rain hits Bendigo there may only be enough water left in the clouds for shower activity, even if the air will be cold enough at the 744 metre Mount Alexander.

It is possible Bendigo’s forecast patchy showers will carry a little bit of hail sometime Sunday morning or afternoon.

Saturday will likely be wetter, though any snow is expected down only to 1000 metres.

The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting between two to five millimetres to fall as showers, most likely in the afternoon, with a chance of hail and thunder.

Both days are expected to be a top of 12 degrees, with minimums of four on Saturday and three on Sunday.