The merciless storms that ripped Victoria last night have taken the lives of a four-year-old boy and three people, in separate incidents.
The young boy was hit by a tree in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, Blackburn South, and rushed to hospital with severe injuries on Thursday night, but eventually died.
Also in Melbourne’s east, a 59-year-old man in Belgrave was killed when a tree fell and crushed his car at about 6:10pm.
In Frenshaw, Victoria’s north-east, a 36-year-old woman became the third death after a tree crushed the vehicle in Fernshaw.
Police say the car was driving down the Maroondah Highway when it was crushed by a falling tree at about 6:50pm.
The woman was sitting in the front passenger seat of a ute.
The driver, a 24-year-old man, was rushed to hospital with minor injuries.
Following the severe weather warning issued Thursday night for strong and damaging winds in large parts of the state.
“We’re urging any road users to please drive carefully and to the conditions particularly across the Eastern suburbs of Melbourne and the Yarra Ranges,” said The State Emergency Service.
Wind speeds of up to 124 kilometres per hour were recorded at Mount Gellibrand, and 100kph winds were recorded at Port Fairy, on the state’s south-west coast.
By 9pm last night, Victoria SES had received 1,400 calls for assistance following the strong winds. Over 90,000 homes had had power outages during the storm.
Victoria most-affected areas included Belgrave, Mount Evelyn, Lilydale, Mount Waverley and Croydon.