It comes as Christmas Day this year is on track to become one of the wettest Melbourne has ever recorded.

As of 9am on Monday, about 40mm of rain had fallen across the city.

Meteorologist Joanna Hewes from the Bureau of Meteorology said just three per cent of Christmas Days had seen more than 10mm of rainfall since the bureau’s records began more than 160 years ago.

“The highest rainfall that we’ve seen in Melbourne on Christmas Day was in 1988 and it was 48.6mm,” she said.

Ms Hewes said potential thunderstorms across Melbourne in the afternoon could mean Monday became the wettest Christmas Day on record.

“Depending on where those thunderstorms might pop up this afternoon, we could see even higher rainfall totals than that,” she said.

“Only three per cent of Christmas days on the records for Melbourne, since we’ve been keeping them since 1855, have seen more than 10mm of rainfall,” she said.

“It is definitely unusual to see this much rain on Christmas Day.”

Dunolly, 180km northwest of Melbourne, had seen 96.2mm of rain by Christmas morning, the area’s highest-ever daily rainfall record.

“We’ve seen quite a few records for December,” Ms Hewes said.

A record 64.2mm had fallen in Korong Vale in Victoria’s northwest.

Swan Hill got 49.6mm of rain.

Meanwhile, an average of 10-15mm of rain had fallen in the northern suburbs, and up to 20mm had fallen in Melbourne’s east.

Ms Hewes said Victorians could likely look forward to a much drier New Year period if thunderstorms eased off around the state on Boxing Day.

“It is looking like a much more pleasant New Year’s Eve than it has been on Christmas Day,” she said.

Temperatures are expected to reach a top of 24 degrees with a 30 per cent chance of rain.

Severe thunderstorm warnings remain in place for parts of East Gippsland and Victoria’s northeast.

Floods damage homes in Victoria’s north

Homes and businesses in Shepparton, Echuca, Kyabram and Wedderburn have been damaged by floodwater, with a Watch and Act Warning issued for Wedderburn on Monday morning.

An SES spokeswoman said there had been 573 calls for assistance in Victoria since severe rainfall began about 5pm on Christmas Eve.

Echuca has reported 50 calls for help, the highest number of calls in the state, amid storm and rain damage causing the roofs of several properties to cave in.

The Wedderburn unit had received 16 calls for assistance on Christmas morning after properties in the town’s central district suffered storm damage and fallen trees blocked access to roads.

The Wedderburn oval was completely under water and Donaldson Park, home to the local Redbacks footy team, resembled a lake even as the worst of the flooding appeared to have subsided by Monday afternoon.

Several properties were affected, with visible damage to gates and fences along with large puddles of water in gardens and yards.

Some Wedderburn locals tried to make the best of a bad situation, kayaking on the flooded footy oval on Christmas morning.

Although by Monday afternoon the worst of the flooding had abated and the rain had stopped, locals were bracing for the possibility of more damage if the wet weather persisted into Boxing Day and beyond.

Local resident Jenny, who did not wish to give her last name, said it was the worst flooding she had seen in the town since moving there in 1981.

The water had covered the sidewalk outside her house early on Monday and left her terrified her house was going to be flooded.

“I was just sitting at home hoping the water wouldn’t come in,” she said.

Luckily for Jenny, the water didn’t make it inside but her neighbours were not so fortunate.

They spent Christmas morning emptying water from their front yard using buckets. Fortunately their house itself was not flooded with only a bit of water making it under the garage door.

Loddon Shire Mayor Gavan Holt said he had not been able to access the township to assess the degree of destruction.

He said a municipal emergency response officer was trying to contact residents to ensure their safety and determine their need for assistance.

“We’ve had 175ml overnight. That’s a lot of water for us,” he said.

“And it’s still raining so we don’t know how much more is coming.

“To put that in perspective, in the 2011 floods we had 200ml in a couple of days.”

Cr Holt said the Calder Highway was closed between Charlton and Bridgewater, and though there was no danger to lives they would be preparing to relocate any residents whose houses were destroyed.

Wedderburn business owner Cass Reeves said her whole family had abandoned their Christmas to protect her home from floodwaters.

She said the children, including her 12-week-old daughter, would miss out on any festive celebrations.

“Her first Christmas is nothing,” she said.

“My ten-year-old nephew is outside making sandbags.”

The mother of two had made flour “Santa footprints” for the children to find, which had to quickly be vacuumed up to prevent it mixing with any water.

She said the water was moving “incredibly quickly”, covering the 50m from the road to her house in the space of an hour and trapping her animals on the property.

“I’m hoping they’re all alive then all this is over,” she said.

“This is the worst it’s been in the ten years I’ve been here.”

Colin Mills said the water had swept through his property and left his garden shed underwater.

Thankfully his main house was unscathed but it had taken him and his extended family more than an hour just to clear the water from their backyard.

“We haven’t even started the shed yet,” Mr Mills said.

His daughter Rebecca was visiting from New South Wales for Christmas.

“I arrived late yesterday (Christmas Eve) just when the rain started,” she said.

Despite the Christmas to forget, the Mills family were in high spirits cracking jokes at each other’s expense.

“We used to live in Gippsland and every time Rebecca visited she used to bring floods with her,” Colin laughed.

“We never thought she’d be able to bring them up here. Some effort!”

Some Wedderburn locals tried to make the best of a bad situation, kayaking on the flooded footy oval on Christmas morning.

Although by Monday afternoon the worst of the flooding had abated and the rain had stopped, locals were bracing for the possibility of more damage if the wet weather persisted into Boxing Day and beyond.

Heavy rainfall is expected to lash the state throughout the holiday season.

A high chance of showers on Boxing Day will continue into December 27, when temperatures will peak at 22 degrees.

Cloudy skies with a 30 per cent chance of rain is expected between December 20 and December 30.

While Christmas will prove to be a washout for many, rainfall is set to ease as temperatures rise just in time for the new year.

A top of 24 degrees is slated for New Year’s Eve with a small chance of a thunderstorm later in the day.

Originally published as Flooding strands Victorians as heavy rains create a Christmas washout