A downpour that smashed the state today has ruined a Gippsland surf life saving club, with members saying the devastation is “beyond words”. It comes after hail blanketed the region, and rain bucketed down in Melbourne. SEE THE PICTURES Wild weather in the state’s southeast has destroyed the Wonthaggi Life Saving Club, with pictures posted on Facebook showing the land beneath the building appearing to collapse during today’s storm. It comes after heavy hail blanketed the region, turning beaches white, and Melbourne was hit by a 15-minute downpour that sparked flash flooding. NO RESPECT? LYON SLAMS FOOTY SHOW ‘EXECUTION’ 24 OF THE FOOTY SHOW’S CRAZIEST MOMENTS Damage to the land under the Wonthaggi club. The scale of the destruction. The Wonthaggi club said the devastation was “beyond words”. Opposition emergency services spokesman Brad Battin said volunteers had been calling for “urgent funding to protect their much loved club”. The Liberal Party promised $2 million to rebuild it before last year’s state election. Mr Battin urged the government to match the commitment to “ensure local volunteer lifesavers have a club to protect holiday makers next summer”. New Footy Show’s name should have been changed: McGuire In Melbourne, up to 15 mm of rain fell on several suburbs including Essendon and Ferny Creek around lunchtime. The drizzle has set in this afternoon, with warnings from emergency services to stay safe on roads ahead of peak hour. In Glen Waverely, the SES, police and VicRoads were responding to a man trapped in a vehicle in floodwaters on Springvale Rd. There was also significant floodwater in the city, with VicRoads warning of dangerous conditions on Montague St near the entry to the West Gate Fwy. Hail around the Wonthaggi surf life saving club. Picture: Facebook In southeast Gippsland, the heavy hail has also fallen in the coastal town of Cape Paterson, near Inverloch, next to Wonthaggi. The freak storm left roads, properties and beaches resembling a winter wonderland and transformed the Gippsland town into a slushy sea of white. One beach was almost completely covered in hailstones. A Cape Paterson beach blanketed in hailstones. Picture: Brad Richards A beach at Cape Paterson has been transformed into a winter wonderland. Picture: Ionee Reid Horses at Cape Paterson this morning. Picture: Ionee Reid Roads blanketed with hail at Cape Paterson. Picture: Ionee Reid Tennis courts and picnic tables blanketed in hail. Picture: Brad Richards — Send us your weather pictures at news@heraldsun.com.au The extreme hail has gone north to creep across the border to Albury as the town centre is covered in ice. Meanwhile, a snowstorm has blown across the high country, with snow falling in the Victorian Alps for the second day this week as forecasters predict up to 10cm of powder. At Hotham Alpine Resort, the mercury dipped below zero about 6am, and snowfalls were moderate to heavy. Locals woke to a wintry landscape just under a month before the snow season is due to start on June 8. Heavy snow falling at Mt Hotham on Friday. Picture: Twitter/Hotham Alpine Resort Alpine resorts are rejoicing after the early snowfall. Picture: Twitter/Hotham Alpine Resort More snow is likely today with up to 20cm set to fall, and temperatures are expected to dip well below zero overnight. Falls Creek, Mt Buller and Mt Baw Baw are also getting snowfalls. The Bureau of Meteorology issued an early rainfall forecast for up to 25mm in the city and up to 40mm in the outer suburbs. As of 7am, 7.2mm of rain had fallen in the city with the heaviest rainfall recorded just after 4am. The most rainfall the city has had in a day this year was just 11mm. But heavy rain started again in Melbourne just after midday and it could settle in for most of the afternoon. Showers were expected to clear by late afternoon, but the Bureau says the rain could hang around for longer because the front has been slow moving. “That heavy rain west of us is slow moving and it will gradually move across the city and to the eastern suburbs,” BOM senior forecaster Richard Carlyon told the Herald Sun. The view overlooking Southbank. The hail/snow storm that hit Cape Paterson. Picture: Brad Richards Colder temperatures are also expected to follow the rain band, with Melbourne set to hit a top of just 14C. While the forecast rainfall is not unusual for this time of year, autumn leaves blocking drains could lead to localised flash flooding. The wettest spot in the state is Ben Nevis, near Ararat, which recorded 59mm of rain. Aireys Inlet, on the Great Ocean Rd, received 56mm while Ballarat has received almost 50mm with more set to come. A number of buildings have been damaged around the Ballarat area, with some roads closed due to flooding. The wet weather has mostly moved out west, with 17mm bucketing down in Geelong during the past two hours. Storms have caused trees to come down and roads have been flooded. A tree down in a Geelong West backyard. The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe weather warning, saying up to 60mm of rain could lash down in only an hour. The Mornington Peninsula has also copped a drenching, with flash flooding making life difficult for motorists. The highest rainfalls were expected just north of Melbourne, near the Yarra Ranges, where between 40mm to 50mm is forecast. A 4WD ploughs through floodwaters in Dromana. Picture: Adam Richmond The deluge of rain caused problems for Mornington Peninsula commuters this morning. Picture: Adam Richmond While it’s hoped today’s rain will mark the start of some much-needed wet weather, the skies are tipped to clear by Saturday as Melbourne heads for a top of 17C. “It should fine up pretty quickly for Saturday, but some fresh gusty southerly winds will make it feel pretty cold,” BOM duty forecaster Richard Russell said. “Sunday is expected to be cloudy with a slight chance of showers.” VicRoads has urged drivers to slow down and take extra care in the rain following a horror week on Victorian roads. Motorists are being told to turn their headlights on when it’s raining, and leave extra space between them and the car in front as braking distances increase when the road is wet. “If the rain becomes too heavy for wipers to cope, pull over safely and wait for the rain to pass,” VicRoads said.<doc-sep>A Victorian seaside town has been left looking like a snowfield after being blanketed in hail as a cold snap hit the state. Cape Paterson, 132km south-east of Melbourne, was hit with the hailstones on Friday, and a severe weather warning is in place for the area, with the SES citing dangerous driving conditions. The beach and town centre were covered in hail and some residents were forced to shovel the ice away from their doors. Cape Paterson beach, 132 kilometres south-east of Melbourne, covered with hail. Credit: Brad Richards / Supplied Motorists in Cape Paterson, Wonthaggi and Bass Coast have been urged by the SES to beware of the hazardous conditions. "Please ensure to have your headlights switched on, drive to the conditions and be aware of hail on roads," the SES said. RELATED: Melbourne weather: Snow blankets Hotham, heavy rain forecast across city RELATED: Melbourne weather: Heavy rain forecast with city set to shiver as temperatures plummet The sight was similar to scenes at Mt Hotham, but the ski resort has instead received a dumping of snow. Rainfall also hit Melbourne overnight and is set to continue through the afternoon, bringing the wettest day of the year. The beach and town centre were covered in hail at Cape Paterson. Credit: Brad Richards / Supplied A car appeared to be stuck in the hail on Friday. Credit: Alli Coulson / 7NEWS The heaviest rainfalls on Friday were west of the city, with Aireys Inlet recording 53mm and Ballarat, close to 40mm. In the city, only 7mm of rain has fallen but more is on the way, Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Keris Arndt said. "It looks like the heaviest stuff has moved a bit further west of Melbourne," Arndt said. Cape Paterson on Friday. Credit: Alli Coulson / 7NEWS Some residents were forced to shovel the ice away from their doors at Cape Paterson. Credit: Brad Richards / Supplied "But by mid to late morning, we're expecting more of a southerly push, which should result in showers reaching the city, so we are likely to still see more in Melbourne." The wet, chilly weather is also forecast to bring more snow to alpine areas, in altitudes as low as 1,000m, with around 5cm to 10cm possible. Cape Paterson blanketed by hail. Credit: Brad Richards / Supplied Pedestrians are seen with umbrellas during wet weather in Melbourne. Credit: David Crosling / AAP - with AAP<doc-sep>Melbourne has recorded its wettest and coldest day for 2019 so far. Temperatures climbed to a modest maximum of 14C today with up to 15mm of rain falling across the city, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. In some eastern suburbs, 15mm of rain fell in as many minutes. Snow covering the beach at Cape Paterson on Victoria's southern coast. (9news) "It's arguably the wettest day of the year so far," senior forecaster Richard Carlyon said. Excavators were used to clear the local streets of heavy hail. (9news) The Melbourne city gauge recorded 7mm before 9am and a further 8mm through until early afternoon, with more showers expected. Between 10mm to 15mm rain fell in just 15 minutes in some eastern suburbs as heavy showers and thunderstorms passed over about lunchtime, Mr Carlyon said. Previously, the most daily rain Melbourne had recorded was 11mm on February 7. A soggy day is continuing to be unpleasant in some of Melbourne's suburbs tonight. (AAP/David Crosling) Up to 20mm is expected to fall across most of the metropolitan area by the end of the day, with heavier falls in the western and northwestern suburbs. "If we exceed 11mm, which is definitely a pretty decent risk, it is going to be the wettest day of 2019 so far," forecaster Keris Arndt said. Areas west of Melbourne recorded the highest rainfall, with 56mm up to 9am at Aireys Inlet and 44mm at Ballarat. The SES warned drivers to slow down, maintain a greater distance from the vehicle in front and turn on headlights. Drivers are also urged to avoid driving through flooded roads. Heavy rain is expected to reduce visibility, making road conditions dangerous across the inner, western, northern, eastern and southeastern suburbs. While the Bureau of Meteorology says it's not an unusual amount of rain for this time of year, senior forecaster Richard Carlyon warns autumn leaves blocking drains could lead to localised flash flooding. The wet, chilly weather is also forecast to bring snow in alpine areas, in altitudes as low as 1000m, with around 5 to 10cm possible. Vic Roads have again urged drivers to not attempt to drive through floodwater. (9news) The highest falls were recorded in the west of the state with Ben Nevis – near Ararat – received 59 millimetres by 9am and while the Surf Coast town of Aireys Inlet received 56mm. The cities of Ballarat and Geelong had received 44mm and 33mm respectively, senior forecaster for the Bureau of Meteorology Richard Carlyon said. Some Melbourne suburbs saw 10 and 15 millimetres of rain within 15 minutes early this afternoon, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. Good weather for ... swans. Enjoying a flooded access road in Ballarat, west of Melbourne. (9news) It’s tipped to be Melbourne wettest day of the year. He said Melbourne's western suburbs had received between 10 and 20mm, but Melbourne was unlikely to see the same intensity of rainfall as areas in the west. "We're likely to see the showers increase during the middle part of the day and through the afternoon," he said. Pedestrians using whatever they can so stay dry as the rain continues to fall. (AAP/David Crosling) Hail covered the streets and beaches at Cape Paterson on Victoria’s Bass Coast south-east of Melbourne. Thunderstorms this afternoon could see 30 to 60mm of rain fall over Melbourne, Bendigo, Ballarat, Seymour, Wonthaggi and Bacchus Marsh in an hour. Residents of Ballan, in the state's north-west, were forced to sandbag their properties as relentless rainfall hit the region overnight and throughout the day. "We're just battling with all the water that's coming down from the street, it's flooding our house," Ballan resident Helen Wiseman said. Homes around Ballarat's Lake Wendouree also saw high levels of rain, with swans relocating from lakes to roads. VicRoads has urged motorists to take care in the slippery conditions and issued a reminder for people never to enter floodwaters. Melbourne is set for its wettest day of the year so far with 35mm or rain predicted for Friday. (AAP/David Crosling) Snow is forecast down to 1000 metres and a strong wind warning has been issued for coastal areas west of Lakes Entrance.<doc-sep>
As Melbourne prepares for its wettest day of the year with road alerts in place, snow has blanketed Mount Hotham in Victoria's east. The heaviest rainfalls on Friday were west of the city, with Aireys Inlet recording 53mm and Ballarat, close to 40mm. In the city, only 7mm of rain has fallen but more is on the way, Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Keris Arndt said. "It looks like the heaviest stuff has moved a bit further west of Melbourne," Arndt said. "But by mid to late morning, we're expecting more of a southerly push, which should result in showers reaching the city, so we are likely to still see more in Melbourne." The wet, chilly weather is also forecast to bring more snow to alpine areas, in altitudes as low as 1,000m, with around 5cm to 10cm possible. RELATED: Melbourne weather: Heavy rainfall forecast with city set to shiver as temperatures plummet RELATED: Weather: Cold snap hits Melbourne and NSW as temperatures plummet Up to 20mm of rain is expected to fall across most of the metropolitan area, with heavier falls in the western and northwestern suburbs. So far this year, the most that Melbourne has recorded in a day is 11mm, putting Friday on track to be the soggiest day yet. "If we exceed 11mm, which is definitely a pretty decent risk, it is going to be the wettest day of 2019 so far," Mr Arndt said. The SES is advising drivers to slow down, maintain a greater distance from the vehicle in front and turn on headlights. Drivers are also urged to avoid driving through flooded roads. Pedestrians are seen with umbrellas during wet weather in Melbourne. Credit: David Crosling / AAP Heavy rain is expected to reduce visibility, making road conditions dangerous across the inner, western, northern, eastern and southeastern suburbs. While the weather bureau says it's not an unusual amount of rain for this time of year, senior forecaster Richard Carlyon warns autumn leaves blocking drains could lead to localised flash flooding. Colder temperatures are also set to follow the rain band, with Melbourne forecast to hit a top of just 14C on Friday. Snow at Mt Hotham on Friday. Credit: 7NEWS - with AAP For more on Australia's weather, head to 7NEWS.com.au