Woodend CFA

09/08/2026

** Update: A new warning has been issued. Stay informed: http://www.bom.gov.au/vic/warnings/ **

Severe Weather Warning for damaging winds.
Stay informed: http://www.bom.gov.au/vic/warnings/
Issued at 10:45 am EST on Sunday 9 August 2026

Where:
For people in parts of Central, East Gippsland, North Central, North East and West and South Gippsland Forecast Districts.

Locations which may be affected include Falls Creek, Dargo, Mt Baw Baw, Mt Hotham, Mt Buller and Omeo.

When:
Damaging winds developing over the central and eastern ranges today.

Situation:
North to northwesterly winds are strengthening over the state ahead of a cold front forecast to cross Victoria later today. Winds should weaken overnight ahead of a broad low pressure system moving across western Victoria and into Bass Strait on Monday.

For the Macedon and Central Ranges: Damaging winds averaging 60 to 70 km/h with peak gusts of around 90 km/h are possible during Sunday, and are forecast to ease during Sunday evening.

For the Northeast Ranges and Alpine Areas: Damaging winds averaging 60 to 70 km/h with peak gusts of around 100 km/h are likely during Sunday, and are forecast to ease early Monday morning.

Winds are forecast to ease below warning thresholds early Monday morning.

Impacts:
100 km/h wind gust was recorded at Mt Buller at 10:37 am
96 km/h wind gust was recorded at Mt Hotham at 10:41 am

What you should do:
The Victoria State Emergency Service advises that people should:
* If driving conditions are dangerous, safely pull over away from trees, drains, low-lying areas and floodwater. Avoid travel if possible.
* Stay safe by avoiding dangerous hazards, such as floodwater, mud, debris, damaged roads and fallen trees.
* Be aware - heat, fire or recent storms may make trees unstable and more likely to fall when it's windy or wet.
* Check that loose items, such as outdoor settings, umbrellas and trampolines are safely secured. Move vehicles under cover or away from trees.
* Stay indoors and away from windows.
* If outdoors, move to a safe place indoors. Stay away from trees, drains, gutters, creeks and waterways.
* Stay away from fallen powerlines - always assume they are live.
* Be aware that in fire affected areas, rainfall run-off into waterways may contain debris such as ash, soil, trees and rocks. Heavy rainfall may also increase the potential for landslides and debris across roads.
* Stay informed: Monitor weather warnings, forecasts and river levels at the Bureau of Meteorology website, and warnings through VicEmergency website/app/hotline.

The next Severe Weather Warning will be issued by 5:00 pm AEST Sunday.

09/08/2026

09/08/2026

08/08/2026

08/08/2026

⚠️ SEVERE WEATHER WARNING
⚠️ FOR DAMAGING WINDS

For people in parts of Central, East Gippsland, North Central, North East and West and South Gippsland Forecast Districts.

Issued at 11:29 am Saturday, 8 August 2026.

Damaging winds to develop over the central and eastern ranges on Sunday.

Weather Situation: North to northwesterly winds will strengthen on Sunday ahead of a cold front forecast to cross Victoria later on Sunday. Winds should gradually weaken during Monday morning as a broad low pressure system moves across western Victoria and into Bass Strait.

For the MACEDON and CENTRAL RANGES: DAMAGING WINDS averaging 60 to 70 km/h with peak gusts of around 90 km/h are possible from late Sunday morning.

For the NORTHEAST RANGES and ALPINE AREAS: DAMAGING WINDS averaging 60 to 70 km/h with peak gusts of around 100 km/h are likely to develop from late Sunday morning.

Winds are forecast to ease below warning thresholds early Monday morning.

Locations which may be affected include Falls Creek, Dargo, Mt Baw Baw, Mt Hotham, Mt Buller and Omeo.

07/08/2026

A significant and strong cold front will affect Victoria later this weekend. Damaging winds, rain, snow and possible flooding will affect the state.

Numerous warnings are likely to be issued.

Initial Flood Watch for parts of North East, Gippsland and Central Victoria

Issued at 12:39 pm AEST on Friday 7 August 2026

Flood Watch Number: 1

FLOODING POSSIBLE ACROSS THE FLOOD WATCH AREA FROM LATE SUNDAY INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK

Moderate to heavy rainfall associated with a strong cold front has the potential to cause widespread minor and isolated moderate flooding across parts of North East, Gippsland and Central Victoria from late Sunday and into early next week. Catchments are moderately wet following recent rainfall and rivers may respond quickly to any further rainfall.

Parts of North West Victoria are also being closely monitored as the rainfall situation develops. This Flood Watch will be updated and Flood Warnings will be issued as required.

River and creek level rises, areas of localised flooding, and overland inundation are possible across parts of the Flood Watch area. Check road conditions before travelling.

Catchments likely to be affected include:

🔵 Snowy River (Flooding possible around Basin Creek from Monday evening)

🔵 Mitchell River

🔵 Macalister River

🔵 Bunyip River and Dandenong Creek(Flooding possible along the Bunyip River from Monday evening)

🔵 Yarra River upstream of Warrandyte

🔵 Upper Murray and Mitta Mitta Rivers

🔵 Kiewa River

🔵 Ovens and King Rivers

🔵 Broken River

🔵 Goulburn River upstream of Lake Eildon

🔵 Goulburn River Eildon to Seymour

For the latest flood and weather warnings see www.bom.gov.au/weather-and-climate/warnings-and-alerts

For the latest rainfall and river level information see www.bom.gov.au/australia/flood

Safety Advice:

Don't drive, walk, swim or play in floodwater because it is dangerous.

Stay away from flooded drains, rivers, streams and waterways.

Obey road closure signs. Plan ahead so you don't drive on flooded roads.

Check the ABC and local media for updates. The situation can change quickly, so stay informed.

For local emergency management warnings and advice visit www.emergency.vic.gov.au.

For emergency assistance call SES on telephone number 132 500. In life-threatening emergencies, call 000 (triple zero) immediately.

Image - Bureau of Meteorology.

06/08/2026

04/08/2026

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1423883899664002

03/08/2026

Same in Oz

Smoke alarms. They’re in our homes, they criticise our cooking, and most importantly, they save lives. But have you ever wondered how they actually work?

Most modern smoke alarms - and ones we recommend, use a photoelectric sensor. Inside the alarm is a small beam of light and a sensor that sits out of the light’s path.

When the air is clear, the light never reaches the sensor. But when smoke enters the alarm, the smoke particles fracture the light, causing some of it to hit the sensor. When there is enough interference from smoke, and more light reaches the sensor, that then triggers the alarm to sound.

However, this is also how false alarms can happen. If enough dust particles build up inside the sensing chamber, that can interfere with the light beam in the same way smoke does and trigger the alarm.

That's why keeping your smoke alarms clean is so important.
✅ Vacuum your smoke alarms regularly using a soft brush attachment.
✅ Keep them free from dust, cobwebs, and insects.
✅ Test them monthly to make sure they're working.
✅ Replace the entire alarm when it reaches the end of its service life (usually 10 years).

A clean smoke alarm is a reliable smoke alarm. By taking a few minutes to maintain yours, you'll reduce nuisance alarms and help ensure it works when you need it most.

After all, the smoke alarm that goes off during burnt toast today could be the one that saves your life tomorrow.

Take a moment today to check your smoke alarms. Are they clean, tested, and ready to protect your whānau?
https://www.fireandemergency.nz/home-fire-safety/smoke-alarms/

31/07/2026

OUR BUSY YEAR CONTINUES
2026 has continued to be a very busy year for the Woodend CFA. So far this year, we have been called to 98 jobs – this included 7 jobs in the last month. To put that in perspective, we had 100 at the same time in our record last year.