More than 15,000 homes without power as wild winds lash Victoria

More than 15,000 homes are currently without power after damaging winds brought down trees on power lines.

And parts of the state continue to be hit by damaging winds.

Watch and act messages were issued for areas including the Grampians as well as Mount Dandenong late yesterday, with residents told to prepare to shelter in place.

Most of the properties currently without power are in Melbourne’s outer-east.

The SES responded to about 200 requests for assistance overnight, with more calls for help expected as people wake and discover fallen trees this morning.

A severe weather warning is now in place for parts south-west Victoria and the Alpine region, with damaging winds averaging 65km/h and gusts up to 110km/h.

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Phoebe de Wilt says the worst of the wild winds have passed but there is still the chance of gusts of around 90km/h in some parts of the state.