Werribee hit by thunderstorms as winds batter Altona and west

Localised but severe thunderstorms are lashing central Melbourne.

Random storms have hit areas including Box Hill, Doncaster, Healesville, Sunbury, Templestowe and Heidelberg.

Winds exceeding 100 km/h earlier battered Altona, Deer Park, Laverton, St Albans and south of Bacchus Marsh.

The Bureau of Meteorology is warning for damaging winds, heavy rainfall and flash flooding in some areas.

Duty meteorologist Stuart Coombs said short-lived storms were popping up throughout central Melbourne.

“This is a situation that changes every 30 minutes,” he said. “They go on for their life-cycle and then break apart.”

The storms were expected to ease on Sunday night before heading over the bay towards Frankston.

Outside Melbourne, Mr Coombs said a larger, more intense storm had hit parts of West Gippsland.

Warragul experienced 26.4 millimetres of rain.

Meanwhile, north and north-east Geelong was also struck with heavy rain.

This comes as Metro reports lighting is the likely cause of a suspension on the line between Newport and Werribee due to signal and track equipment faults in the Laverton area.

Its website said buses had replaced the service. V/Line services in Geelong are also experiencing train faults due to the storm.

A SES spokeswoman said there had been about 20 call outs, mostly in the Gippsland area.

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