SES Maroondah Unit

** Update: A new warning has been issued. Stay informed: http://www.bom.gov.au/vic/warnings/ **

Severe Weather Warning for damaging winds

Issued at 4:50 pm on Sunday 31 May 2026

Where:
For people in parts of Central, East Gippsland, North Central, North East, West and South Gippsland and South West Forecast Districts.

Locations which may be affected include Ballarat, Bacchus Marsh, Falls Creek, Yarra Glen, Dargo, Mt Baw Baw, Mt Hotham, Mt Buller, Omeo and Apollo Bay.

When:
Damaging winds to develop about central and eastern areas from Monday afternoon.

Situation:
A complex low pressure system will approach Victoria on Monday, with vigorous northwesterly winds expected ahead of a cold front which will cross the state on Monday night.

For Central Victoria: Strong winds averaging 50 to 60 km/h with damaging wind gusts of around 90 km/h are likely to develop from Monday afternoon over the Macedon and Otway ranges and their southern slopes. Into the evening damaging wind gusts are also possible over lower lying areas including the northern suburbs of Melbourne. Winds are then forecast to ease before dawn on Tuesday morning.

For the Northeastern Ranges: Damaging winds averaging 60 to 70 km/h with peak gusts of around 100 km/h are likely over elevated areas above 1200 metres from late Monday evening. Winds are then forecast to ease by late Tuesday morning.

What you should do:
The Victoria State Emergency Service advises that people should:
* 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.

The next Severe Weather Warning will be issued by 11:00 pm AEST Sunday.

Happy Wear Orange Wednesday (WOW Day)! Today is the national day of thanks for our incredible SES volunteers who provide vital emergency support to our communities 24 hours a day, every day of the year. 🧡🌩️💦💨

Whether you’ve added a touch of orange to your outfit, planned an orange-themed event, donated to your local VICSES unit, or even joined up as a volunteer, we’d love to hear how you’re celebrating this special day. Tag us using

☎️For SES assistance during floods and storms, call 132 500
🚨 In a life-threatening emergency, call 000

🧡Today marks the beginning of National Volunteer Week, a time to reflect on and celebrate the crucial support that volunteers provide to our communities. It’s a big week for showing gratitude to volunteers with Wear Orange Wednesday also falling on 20 May. 🧡

This Wednesday, we’ll be giving a special thanks to our volunteers in orange which you can find out more about here: www.ses.vic.gov.au/news-andmedia/campaigns/wear-orange-wednesday

☎️For SES assistance during floods and storms, call 132 500
🚨 In a life-threatening emergency, call 000

At VICSES, we work together without fear, favour, or prejudice. Today, and every day, we stand with the LGBTIQ+ community in recognition of

☎️For SES assistance during floods and storms, call 132 500
🚨 In a life-threatening emergency, call 000

Have you seen our banners turning the state orange for Wear Orange Wednesday (WOW Day), thanks to our major community partner AAMI? Get into the WOW Day spirit by checking out these bad boys in person.

Locations are on our website: https://www.ses.vic.gov.au/news-and-media/campaigns/wear-orange-wednesday

☎️For SES assistance during floods and storms, call 132 500
🚨 In a life-threatening emergency, call 000

The countdown to Wear Orange Wednesday (WOW Day) on 20 May is on!

WOW Day is the national day of thanks for our amazing SES volunteers.

Now’s the time to get WOW Day ready by picking out a splash of orange for your outfit, planning an orange-themed event or sharing a message of thanks to our wonderful SES volunteers using the hashtag

Find out more: www.ses.vic.gov.au/news-and-media/campaigns/wear-orange-wednesday

🚨Today three of our incredible volunteers from VICSES Maroondah Unit stepped up and represented our unit at the Women in Rescue Training 👏👩‍🚒🧡

These legends spent the day building skills, confidence, and capability alongside other amazing women from across the service. From hands-on rescue techniques 🪢🚒 to strengthening teamwork 🤝 and leadership, the day was all about empowering women in emergency services 💛🔥

At SES Maroondah Unit, we’re committed to creating an inclusive, supportive environment where everyone has the opportunity to learn 📚, grow 🌱, and lead 🚀. Seeing our members take part in programs like this is exactly what resilience and community spirit looks like 🙌🧡

A huge shoutout to our three volunteers for giving up their Saturday to keep building their skills and supporting our community 👏👏 .

☎️For SES assistance during floods and storms, call 132 500
🚨 In a life-threatening emergency, call 000

**This warning has been updated. Stay informed: https://emergency.vic.gov.au/respond/ **

Severe Weather Warning for heavy rainfall

Stay informed: http://www.bom.gov.au/vic/warnings/

Issued at 4:41 am EDT on Tuesday 24 February 2026

Where:
For people in Northern Country, North Central and parts of Central, North East, West and South Gippsland and Mallee Forecast Districts.

Locations which may be affected include Bendigo, Shepparton, Seymour, Melbourne, Traralgon, Bacchus Marsh, Frankston, Warragul, Euroa, Yarra Glen, and Mansfield.

When:
Heavy rainfall developing Tuesday morning.

Situation:
Heavy rainfall which may lead to flash flooding is forecast for central areas of the state today. The risk of heavy rainfall is possible around the western suburbs of Melbourne from the late morning, before becoming more likely as it extends over the eastern suburbs and the remainder of the warning area during the afternoon and evening. Six-hourly rainfall totals between 40 to 70 mm are possible. Conditions are expected to ease during Wednesday morning.

Separate Flood Watches and/or Warnings may be current at the time of issue. Please refer to https://www.bom.gov.au/weather-and-climate/warnings-and-alerts/ for more information.

What you should do:
The Victoria State Emergency Service advises that people should:
* 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.

The next Severe Weather Warning will be issued by 11:00 am AEDT Tuesday.

Over the weekend, our members took part in a multi-unit training and competency exercise focused on 4WD driving and search operations during dusk and night conditions.

The exercise was held at Paul’s Range in the Yarra Valley, with a staging area and control point operating out of Dixons Creek. Training in low-light environments is critical to ensuring our crews can respond safely and effectively when real-world incidents don’t wait for daylight. 🚙🔦

It was a fantastic opportunity to work alongside neighbouring units, strengthen coordination, and build confidence in challenging conditions.

Training like this ensures we remain ready to serve our community whenever we’re needed.