Flooding, buildings damaged as rain hits Victoria

Parts of Victoria have been smashed with heavy rain, with dozens of emergency callouts overnight.

Aireys Inlet, on the Great Ocean Road, saw a whopping 116mm of rainfall overnight – its wettest 24-hour period in 30 years, according to meteorologists.

Some roads were flooded across Melbourne, with the city's western suburbs heaviest hit, including Avalon and Laverton, which recorded 38mm and 42mm respectively.

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A severe weather warning was issued last night as a cold front swept the state, but this was cancelled with meteorologists saying damaging winds and flash-flooding risk had eased.

But some regions woke to a brisk, wet morning with top temperatures of just 15C in Melbourne's CBD and 31mm of rain falling there overnight.

State Emergency Services saw more than 80 callouts in the past 24 hours, with 31 including building damage, 19 trees downed and 18 flooding emergencies.

READ MORE: NSW towns swallowed by 'inland sea' after flooding

Eastern parts of Victoria are expected to receive between 20 and 40mm today and experts warn the severe weather warning could return if the risk of flash-flooding comes back.

The rain is expected to ease in Melbourne tomorrow as the cold front pushes further north towards the NSW border.

On Thursday, the wet weather is expected to return to Victoria, with border regions around Gippsland to be worst hit.