The Avoca River peak has passed Charlton in northern Victoria and levels are falling through the catchment on Sunday morning, but the Bureau of Meteorology expects rain early next week to push them back up.
The Bureau's moderate flood warning for the Avoca, warning number 17, was issued at 10:25am AEST on Sunday. At 10am the river at Charlton Town was 5.33 metres and falling, and Charlton downstream was 5.49 metres and falling. Yawong Weir was 1.82 metres and falling. Archdale Junction, upstream, was 1.23 metres and steady, and Quambatook, downstream, was 1.35 metres and steady.
Charlton Town was 5.72 metres and rising at the same hour on Saturday, when the Bureau expected a peak near the moderate flood level of 5.90 metres overnight. The gauge is now about 40 centimetres below where it stood a day ago, and the Bureau expects it to remain above the minor flood level through Monday.
What comes after that is the part worth watching. The Bureau says forecast rainfall early next week may cause renewed river level rises across the Avoca catchment. It has not put a figure on the expected falls in this warning.
On the Loddon, the most recent warning is the moderate one issued at 8:58am AEST on Saturday. It has renewed minor flooding likely at Appin Weir from Sunday as a second peak works down the river. At 8am Saturday the Loddon at Loddon Weir was 6.04 metres and rising, Appin South was 2.78 metres and falling, Serpentine Weir was 3.02 metres and falling, and the tailwater at Laanecoorie Reservoir was 1.62 metres and falling, which the Bureau expected to drop below the 1.50 metre minor flood level overnight into Sunday.
That two peak pattern has run through the north of the state all week. A first rise passes a gauge, the catchment upstream keeps draining, and a second, smaller rise follows it down.
The Murray is still rising. The minor flood warning issued at 12:23pm AEST on Saturday had the river at Barham at 5.49 metres and rising at midday, with levels expected to stay around the minor flood level into the middle of the coming week as water arrives from upstream. Torrumbarry Weir was 6.86 metres and rising, Swan Hill 3.54 metres and rising, Echuca Wharf 90.84 metres AHD and rising, and Albury 1.17 metres and rising. Tocumwal was falling.
In the north east, minor flooding continues at Bandiana on the Kiewa River, which was 2.82 metres and steady at 11am Saturday under warning number 15. The Bureau expects it to sit near the 2.80 metre minor flood level over the weekend. The warning for the Ovens and King rivers is now final, meaning the Bureau does not expect to issue another for that event.
River heights are updated through the day on the Bureau's Victorian and New South Wales flood warning pages, and the Avoca warning will be reissued as the falls continue. The State Emergency Service can be reached on 132 500 for flood assistance.
