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© BradThe tornado passes Michaels Moama JCB dealership on the Cobb Hwy.
Northern and western Victoria has been hit by severe winds and heavy rain, and eastern Victoria is set to follow.

And the Victorian SES has urged people to avoid flood waters as wild weather, including the tornado, hits the state.

Wind as strong as 139km/h and rain as high as 92 millimetres had already affected the Western and Wimmera districts, Weatherzone said in a statement.

Mt William in the Grampians was the windiest spot so far and Weeaproinah near the coast was the wettest.

Weeaproinah's 92mm was their highest 24-hour total in nearly three years and highest for August in 57 years.

Flash flooding had also occurred in other parts of the Western, Wimmera, Northern Country and Northeast, a result of the heaviest rain this winter, the heaviest in years for some.

It was the biggest rain since December 2008 for Mt William, Stawell, Warrnambool and Port Fairy, where 30mm to 60mm fell.

Horsham's 20mm and Echuca's 27mm were the highest since last November. For many it was also the biggest August rain in decades.

Cape Otway was a standout, with 49mm being their heaviest for August in at least 149 years.

Also yesterday, severe thunderstorms struck the north.

Damage to property occurred just across the Murray from Echuca, at Moama, where a tornado was reported to have ploughed through.

Meanwhile, emergency services have received about 30 calls across the state, amid reports of flash flooding and landslides in the Western District.

The west and southwest of the state have been most affected, with towns like Colac and Camperdown lashed by wind and rain.

The wild weather is expected to hit Geelong, with the Bureau of Meteorology warning that damaging winds could hit Melbourne later today.

What appeared to be a tornado lashed the Victoria/NSW border yesterday, ripping the roof off a house and uprooting a tree in Moama.

Off-duty policeman Allan Foskett said he had never heard anything like it, as he feared the the tornado would hit his house in Moama.

"It sounded a bit like a jet,'' Leading Snr-Constable Foskett, from Echuca police, said.

"You have seen the twisters on the telly in America, this is what it was like.''

Leading Sen-Constable Foskett said the tornado hit about a kilometre from his house, leaving a trial of debris in the air and on the ground.

SES spokesman Lachlan Quick has urged people not to drive or walk through flood water.

Port Fairy, in Victoria's west, has recorded 67mm of rain since late yesterday.

"That's a substantial amount of rain in short period of time,'' Mr Quick said.

"As a result, we've seen some flash flooding in Port Fairy and a minor landslip at Skenes Creek.

Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Scott Williams said severe weather was expected to hit Melbourne later this evening.

"Late today and tonight both the stronger winds and rainbelt will push eastwards and will hit the city,'' Mr Williams said.

"It will take a bit longer to hit Melbourne than we first thought, but it's still a severe warning," he said.

Resident Mark Langenbacher says his street, Lingnum Lane, was one of the worst hit by the tornado.

"I heard this sound like a jet engine and looked out the window and saw this giant whirly-whirly in the trees,'' Mr Langenbacher, 52, told AAP.

"I went out to look at it and it started coming towards me and I rushed inside, but I could barely close the front door the wind was so strong.''

From inside his house he saw a giant oak tree demolished, the neighbour's pine tree ripped out and their backyard trampoline thrown across the road.

"After it passed I went outside and saw some tin roof on the ground and when I looked up at my roof it was gone,'' Mr Langenbacher said.

"The whole thing was quite bizarre.''

The tornado was preceded by two hours of heavy hail.