EMERGENCY services were kept busy across the Border and North East last night as wild thunderstorms lashed the region dumping more than 50 millimetres of rain in some areas.
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Wodonga SES had 15 callouts by 9.40pm, while CFA crews attended multiple grass fires started by lightning.
Meanwhile, there were power outages at the Jindera Industrial Estate following a transformer fire, and grass fires at Deniliquin and Corowa kept emergency services busy on the other side of the Border.
There were reports of damage to homes at Corowa due to high-speed winds and reports of a fire at the Albury tip.
The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe thunderstorm warning about 9pm last night, with hail, damaging winds and heavy rainfall.
A Victorian SES spokesman said the majority of call-outs were for trees down across roads and minor building damage, including reports of a large tree down in Wodonga on Lawrence Street near Watson Street.
Crews were also called to the Murray Valley Highway, 24 kilometres east of Rutherglen, where several fallen trees were blocking the road, while another large tree blocked the right-hand lane of the Great Alpine Road near Myrtleford, heading to Wangaratta.
Wodonga CFA attended a grass and scrub fire on Felltimber Creek Road, West Wodonga at 8.44pm, brought under control by 9.30pm.
Several other small fires across the North East, including at Chiltern, Tallangatta and Wangaratta, were also brought under control quickly.
Both Albury and Wodonga police reported being “flat out” with calls for assistance regarding trees down, but had not had any reports of more serious incidence or flooding.
Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Dean Stewart said the storm should settle overnight but there would likely be some activity today.
He said parts of the North East saw heavy rainfall within a few hours last night, with Rosewhite near Eurobin recording 55mm, Lake Buffalo 42mm and Mount Hotham 39mm.
