Source: Bureau of Meteorology

Issued at 12:27 pm EST on Monday 27 July 2020

Flood Watch Number: 3

Minor flooding may develop in East, West and South Gippsland catchments from Monday night.

A deepening low pressure system off the NSW coast is moving southwards during Monday and will bring widespread rain throughout Gippsland. Heavy falls are possible in the far east and about the southern slopes of the ranges. The low will start to weaken and move eastwards on Tuesday.

Catchments in East Gippsland have been relatively dry but have seen some strong river rises in response to rainfall over the past couple of weeks. Catchments in West and South Gippsland are relatively wet.

Rainfall totals of 50-75 mm are forecast for East Gippsland and elevated parts of West and South Gippsland today. Isolated higher totals are possible, particularly in the far east of Gippsland.

With the forecast rainfall, river rises are expected and minor flooding may develop in the flood watch area from Monday night.

Catchments likely to be affected include:

Snowy River
Tambo River
Mitchell River
Avon River
Macalister River
Thomson River
Latrobe River
Traralgon Creek
South Gippsland Rivers

A Flood Warning is current for: Bemm, Cann and Genoa Rivers.

The Bureau of Meteorology is continuing to monitor the situation and will issue catchment specific warnings as required.

See www.bom.gov.au/vic/warnings to view the current warnings for Victoria.

For more information on the Flood Watch Service: http://www.bom.gov.au/water/floods/floodWarningServices.shtml

Flood Safety Advice:
Note: This Flood Watch means that people living or working along rivers and streams must monitor the latest weather forecasts and warnings and be ready to move to higher ground should flooding develop.

SES advises that all community members should:

Never walk, ride or drive through floodwater, Never allow children to play in floodwater, Stay away from waterways and stormwater drains during and after heavy rain, Keep well clear of fallen power lines Be aware that in fire affected areas, rainfall run-off into waterways may contain debris such as ash, soil, trees and rocks, and heavy rainfall increases the potential for landslides and debris across roads.

Current Emergency Information is available at http://emergency.vic.gov.au For emergency assistance contact the SES on 132 500.

Current Road and Traffic Information is available at the VicRoads website:

http://traffic.vicroads.vic.gov.au/

Weather Forecast:

For the latest weather forecast see http://www.bom.gov.au/vic/forecasts/

River Height and Rainfall information are available on the Bureau of Meteorology web site at http://www.bom.gov.au/vic/flood/

Flood Warnings and Flood Watches for Victorian Catchments are also available on: Telephone Weather Service No. 1300 659217.

Rainfall and River Conditions Map