Australia Weather News

Hail storms, heavy rain and gusty winds have lashed Victoria and hundreds of people have called for help from emergency services as a cold front moved across the state.

The State Emergency Service said it had responded to more than 460 calls for assistance.

Most cases were in the central region, including metropolitan Melbourne, where trees fell onto roads.

There have been some reports of building damage.

The Bureau of Meteorology said up to 20 millimetres of rain fell in the eastern suburbs and up to 10 millimetres in the west.

Racegoers at the Cox Plate faced squally winds and rain as they shivered through one of the headline days in Melbourne's spring racing carnival.

The temperature dropped below zero near Ararat in the state's west and to 1 degree Celsius at Hopetoun in the north-west on Saturday morning.

Senior forecaster Stephen King said it would remain bleak in Melbourne for the rest of the weekend, with more cold air on the way.

"Melbourne's in the grip of a cold outburst," he said.

"For days [we've had] below about 14 degrees {Celsius].

"We tend to get them every three to six years and they're usually in the first half of October.

"So I guess for the second half of October, it may be a little bit unusual, we maybe get them every 10 years or so.

"It's a pretty bleak weekend so best to just stay indoors and rug up."

He said there were some bright spots in the state, with Mildura looking "reasonably fine", but there was no relief in sight in the near future for the capital.

"Things do improve during the week but another weak front comes through bringing us back to the teens, so not quite getting up to the high 20s or early 30s.

"Maybe we'll have to wait until November for that."