11.30am
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The power cuts are affecting water supplies to the Macedon Ranges township of Trentham, Coliban Water said.
The authority said "fallen trees and lack of road access mean that there is potentially only 2-3 hours of water supply left at Trentham as the Water Treatment Plant has lost power".
"We are currently unable to access the plant to switch to generator power. We ask Trentham customers to minimise non-essential water use to conserve the water supply," Coliban said on its website.
Other news:
"There are also a range of other issues across our network that we are managing as a result of extended periods of power outages. This includes several sewer pump stations that have lost power which may result in sewerage releasing from the structures and into the environment. Please avoid these areas where possible.
"If you have a problem with your water or sewer service, or if you want to report a leak or burst, call our 24-hour number 1300 363 200.
10.50am
The Kyneton, Woodend and Gisborne areas were the focus of crews trying to restore power to homes and businesses, Powercor said.
Wind gusts of more than 100 kilometres an hour had caused the disruptions, the company said, and some properties would be without power until Friday.
"Powercor crews are working to restore power to more than 35,000 homes and businesses after last night's extreme weather caused extensive damage to the electricity network," a spokesperson said.
"The hardest hit areas are in Woodend, Gisborne and Kyneton.
"Crews worked throughout the night to restore power to more than 60,000 customers. Crews are continuing to patrol lines and repair the damage today. Currently we are responding to more than 200 faults, including reports of dozens of fallen powerlines.
"We understand many people are working and studying from home during these latest COVID-19 restrictions so any power outage is inconvenient.
"While extra crews have been mobilised to get power back onto homes as safely and as quickly as possible, the extensive damage means estimated restoration times will be longer than usual, and some customers will be without power until Friday."
Powercor said if people do see a fallen powerline, they should stay well away and call 13 24 12.
Updates are being posted at www.powercor.com.au and by text message.
10am
Power cuts caused by last night's wild storms have also affected Coliban Water's operations.
Coliban was dealing with problems in the southern part of the region, managing director Damian Wells said on social media.
The blackouts have also caused disruption for rail services between Bendigo and Melbourne, and for students at the city's La Trobe University campus.
The university said the campus was closed, and it hoped power would be restored this morning.
9.45am
Telstra said storms and power cuts were affecting some of its services in central Victoria, as well as Melbourne and Gippsland.
"Right now, we're assessing the full impact to our network including power related issues and storm damage," a spokesperson said.
"Our mobile sites and exchanges have power reserves but these are depleted when mains power isn't restored.
"We're working with power authorities to prioritise the restoration of power to our sites.
"At the same time, we're also working to get our power and facilities teams on the ground to key sites when it's safe to do so."
Earlier
THOUSANDS of homes across Central Victoria were without power on Thursday morning after strong winds lashed the region.
The Powercor website said 529 properties were without power in Flora Hill, 1153 properties in Maldon, 478 in Malmsbury and 457 in Heathcote.
More news:
Powercor was investigating the cause of the outages.
The company expected power to be restored in Malmsbury 12pm however did not have an estimated time for the other towns effected.
CitiPower and Powercor's Head of Network Control James Walker said crews work year-round to ensure the network is as safe and reliable as possible, but extreme weather can cause blackouts.
"Strong winds and extreme weather can knock over trees and blow other debris into powerlines and this can cause faults and outages," he said.
"We understand many people are working and studying from home during these latest COVID-19restrictions so any power outage is inconvenient.
"We are monitoring this weather front and will have extra crews available to respond quickly if faults do occur."
It came after the Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe weather warning for the Central, North Central and North East forecast districts.
The bureau said winds averaged between 50 to 60 km/h, with peak gusts of about 100 km/h Wednesday night.
The State Emergency Service advises that people to avoid driving in dangerous conditions, stay clear of trees, drains, low-lying areas and floodwater, and ensure loose items, such as outdoor settings and trampolines are secure.
More to come.
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