Moderate flooding is occurring on the Avoca and Loddon rivers in northern Victoria, and the Murray River is rising at Barham on the New South Wales border, according to Bureau of Meteorology warnings issued on Saturday morning.
The Avoca River at Charlton Town was at 5.72 metres and rising at 10am, and the Bureau expects it to peak near the moderate flood level of 5.90 metres overnight Saturday into Sunday. Charlton downstream was at 5.68 metres and rising at the same reading. Upstream at Archdale Junction the river was falling, and Quambatook, downstream, was also falling. That warning was issued at 10:42am AEST.
On the Loddon, moderate flooding is occurring at Loddon Weir, where the river was at 6.04 metres and rising at 8am. Laanecoorie Reservoir was at 1.62 metres and falling, Serpentine Weir at 3.02 metres and falling, and Appin South at 2.78 metres and falling.
The Bureau expects the Loddon at Appin South to go back above its minor flood level of 2.80 metres during Sunday as a second peak arrives, and Kerang to see a peak below the minor flood level over the weekend. That is the pattern across the north of the state this week: a first peak passing, a second one following it down the same river.
The Murray warning is the newest of the three, issued at 12:23pm AEST. Minor flooding is occurring at Barham, where the river was at 5.49 metres and rising at midday. The Bureau expects it to stay around the minor flood level of 5.50 metres through to the middle of the coming week. Torrumbarry Weir, Echuca Wharf, Swan Hill and Albury were all rising, Tocumwal was falling.
The Kiewa River in the north east is at minor flood level at Bandiana, at 2.82 metres and steady at 11am, and the Bureau expects it to remain around that level over the weekend.
Three Victorian warnings were downgraded to final on Saturday: the Ovens and King rivers, Seven Creeks, and the Yea River and Hughes Creek. A frost warning is current for the North East forecast district.
In Tasmania, damaging winds were still occurring across parts of the South East, North West Coast, Central Plateau, Midlands and Central North districts at 10:42am, with average speeds of 60 to 70km/h and peak gusts above 100km/h. The Bureau recorded 117km/h at Cape Bruny at 8am, 113km/h at Strahan Airport at 2:08am and 98km/h at Scotts Peak Dam at 1:47am.
The Bureau expects those winds to ease by late afternoon. It has already cancelled the warning for the southwest, the northeast and the Furneaux Islands, and cancelled the sheep graziers warning for the Upper Derwent Valley and South East districts. Flood warnings for the Mersey and Meander rivers are now final.
The next Tasmanian severe weather update was due by 5pm AEST Saturday. The State Emergency Service asks people to secure loose outdoor items, stay clear of damaged trees and drive to conditions, and can be reached on 132 500. River heights are updated through the day on the Bureau's Victorian and New South Wales flood warning pages.
