Australia Weather News

A large tree fell onto a house at St Albans in the wild weather. - ABC

High winds overnight in Victoria kept the State Emergency Service (SES) busy with 700 calls for help across the state.

Most of the damage was in Melbourne where the SES responded to 550 calls for help.

Wind gusts of up to 107 kilometres per hour were recorded at Fawkner Beacon, in Port Phillip, and there were gusts of up to 96kph at the airport, in Melbourne's north.

Wind speeds across Melbourne were around 90kph.

Crews were called out to remove fallen trees and to help repair building damage, mainly in northern and north-eastern suburbs.

At St Albans, the SES was called to Cox Street where one of the largest trees in the area fell and damaged a house.

A tree crashed through a fence at Croydon and another tree fell across a road at Forster Street in Mitcham.

Paramedics treated six people in their late teens when a tree came down on them at a campsite at Devils River, in north-eastern Victoria.

There were no serious injuries.

A severe weather warning for high winds has been cancelled but a passing cold front crossing eastern Victoria will bring possible hail and showers to the Melbourne area.

Lucky to be alive

Two kayakers were dumped into the waters off Port Wilson, near Geelong last night when they were caught off guard by the strong winds.

A 42-year-old and 39-year-old were kayaking about 100 metres when they were flipped.

A nearby resident, Jeramie Agosta, was alerted to the trouble when he heard his dogs barking.

He and his father, Frank Agosta, found one of the men on the shore and the second man was found further along the beach after a 20-minute search.

Frank Agosta said they were lucky to be alive.

"It's one of the wildest nights we've had in a long time. We've got 50 knot winds out there right now," he said.

"I've got some of the roof blown off.

"So for them to be out there in 50 knot winds out there, I don't know."

ABC