Tasmania and Victoria are enduring major flooding this morning after copping 200 to 400 mm of rain during the last 48 hours, with some places having their wettest pair of days in over a century of records.

A slow-moving cloudband being fuelled by abundant tropical moisture caused a prolonged spell of persistent and heavy rain over southeastern Australia during the last two days.

The slow-moving nature of this system produced exceptionally high rainfall totals in Victoria and Tasmania, resulting in widespread moderate to major flooding in both states.

As of 10am on Friday, major flood warnings were in place for five rivers in Tasmania and 14 rivers and creeks in Victoria. This flooding is causing widespread disruptions to transport networks, with roads closed across large areas of Victoria and northern Tasmania.

Some parts of Victoria collected more than 200 mm of rain during the last two days, while rainfall totals in northern Tasmania almost reached 400 mm. A few places picked up close to a season’s worth of rain in just 48 hours.

Some of the standout rainfall totals during the 48 hours to 9am on Friday, October 14, included:

• 398 mm at Great Lake East, Tas – Australia’s highest two-day total for this event
• 224 mm at Strathbogie North, Vic – Wettest pair of days since 1918
• 137.4 mm at Mangalore, Vic – close to its spring seasonal average of 147.4 mm
• 126 mm at Marrawah, Tas – Wettest pair of days in records dating back to 1971
• 117 mm at Bendigo, Vic – Wettest pair of days in records dating back to 1863

Thankfully, the cloudband that brought this week’s flooding rain has now cleared out to the Tasman Sea, leaving lighter showers over Tasmania and Victoria in its wake.

However, this has been an historic weather event for Victoria and Tasmania and flooding will linger long after the clouds clear today.

There are also early signs that another rain-bearing low pressure system could affect parts of Victoria and Tasmania mid-to-late next week. It’s too early to know exactly where and how much rain will fall from this system, but it’s worth keeping a close eye on the forecasts and warnings throughout next week.