, updated
Drivers were left stranded in their cars after a ‘supercell’ storm transformed roads into rivers, while thousands were plunged into darkness.
Several states battled severe thunderstorms, golf ball-sized hail and flash flooding on Friday.
Footage shared on social media showed cars submerged in deep, fast-flowing water outside a shopping mall in Frankston in Melbourne‘s south east.
Geelong suffered its worst rainfall since November 2011 with 67mm falling on Friday.
Victoria’s State Emergency Service received almost 600 calls for help amid the deluge.
Meanwhile, many parts of South Australia were pummelled by damaging winds that knocked out transmission lines.
More than 1,500 customers in South Australia remain without power, while 800 customers are also experiencing power outages across Victoria on Saturday.