About 140 customers in Kyabram, 20 customers in Girgarre and two customers in Tongala are without power this afternoon.
It comes following a weather warning issued by the Bureau of Meteorology on Tuesday, October 21 forecasting winds averaging 50 to 60km/h in south-western Victoria, winds between 60 to 80km/h over Central Victoria, and strong winds across northern Victoria.
Winds were not forecast to reach northern Victoria until 5pm today; however, Kyabram residents reported power outages as early as 12.30pm.
According to the BoM, wind gust speeds have been steadily picking up throughout the day at the Kyabram weather station, significantly increasing from 17km/h to 39km/h between 9.30am and 10.30am.
The strongest gust of wind so far was 61km/h, reported at 4pm.
There have been reports of building damage and trees down in Stanhope, Rushworth, Kyvalley and Wyuna noted on the VicEmergency app.
The Powercor website states electricity will not be restored in Kyabram until at least 8pm on Wednesday, October 22, 10.30pm in Girgarre, and midnight in Tongala.
More to come.
SES advice
If driving conditions are dangerous, safely pull over away from trees, drains, low-lying areas and floodwater. Avoid travel if possible.
Stay safe by avoiding dangerous hazards, such as floodwater, mud, debris, damaged roads and fallen trees.
Be aware — heat, fire or recent storms may make trees unstable and more likely to fall when it’s windy or wet.
Check that loose items, such as outdoor settings, umbrellas and trampolines are safely secured. Move vehicles under cover or away from trees.
Stay indoors and away from windows.
If outdoors, move to a safe place indoors. Stay away from trees, drains, gutters, creeks and waterways.
Stay away from fallen powerlines — always assume they are live.
Be aware that in fire-affected areas, rainfall run-off into waterways may contain debris such as ash, soil, trees and rocks. Heavy rainfall may also increase the potential for landslides and debris across roads.
Stay informed: Monitor weather warnings, forecasts and river levels at the Bureau of Meteorology website, and warnings through VicEmergency website/app/hotline.