Australia's east coast was battered by severe thunderstorms that brought flash flooding, power outages and an estimated 10,000 lightning strikes on Tuesday.
But the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said better weather will arrive in time for Australia Day.
In Victoria, the state emergency services responded to hundreds of calls for help due to the flooding, with 116 requests in Geelong alone.
Melbourne was also badly hit, and more than 6,000 Victorians have been left without power with the rain causing widespread blackouts.
In NSW, a warm and bright day ended widespread thunder, heavy rain and storms across Sydney and other parts of the state.
More than 6,000 Victorians have been left without power with the rain causing widespread blackouts
Western Sydney and the Southern Highlands were hit hard, with high winds, rain and hail smashing suburbs and towns.
The storms in Victoria hit the Bellarine Peninsula at around 2.15pm on Tuesday, bringing strong winds and a heavy downpour that had soaked the state's west earlier in the day.
Mount Gellibrant, around 67kilometres west of Geelong, got 29mm of rain in 30 minutes.
As the thunderstorms passed into the east, Melbourne was hit with the deluge about 5pm.
Parts of the city were hit with heavy rainfall and damaging winds, while locals reported severe lightning throughout the late afternoon.
Montrose in the city's east recorded 23mm of rain in 30 minutes.
BoM said a trough and a 'hot, moist, unstable atmosphere' were behind the thunderstorms lashing the region.
State emergency services have advised those in areas affected by storms to stay inside and away from windows, avoid travel if possible and to avoiding dangerous hazards such as floodwater, fallen trees and powerlines.
BoM said Wednesday is expected to be partly cloudy with a high of 28 degrees for both Melbourne and Geelong.
The storms in Victoria brought strong winds and heavy downpours (pictured)
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