My Muddy Muddy Yarra

Blast from the Past - Yarra floods Richmond in 1934

My Brown Yarra, she be up at least 4m today. Earlier this afternoon, as a passenger in the smogbox, a hailstorm hit our happy suburb. I felt the sudden urge to zip up the rain jacket, and the hood too. Remember being hit & badly bruised by huge hail during a freak storm in Hobart back in 1984. Never know when one of those rogue golfball sized ones are going to impact....a little street in Abbotsford was temporarily transformed into a scene from a Canadan winter. There is a Abbotsford in Canada, isn't there? Mind you, Mother Natures tanty didn't stop other car drivers being even frantic about parking. Why can't people simply allow the elements take presidence for a few minutes over their neurotic car urges? No no no, me must find carpark spot now now now. Funny types car drivers.

Oh, yes, the Gipps Street Stairs/Steps - they didn't get washed away, but huge old peppercorn tree did a valiant attempt to knock them into Port Phillip Bay. It's brave sacrifice will be remembered. If we ever get the bikepath along to Flockhart Street I'll plant dozens of baby peppercorns in its honour.

At the Car Wash - Elizabeth Street 1974 (ever wondered about that ped underpass through Flinders St Station? It doubles as a flood overflow)

More stuff, thread on aus.bicycle/cyclingforums: Yarra River - probably ride elsewhere this weekend?

Storm warning for Melbourne
Melbourne residents have been urged to take precautions as a series of severe thunderstorms sweeps across the city. The weather bureau has issued flood warnings for the Yarra, Maribyrnong and Goulburn Rivers, the Dandenong Creek and catchments around Westernport as Melbourne's two-week run of wet weather continues. Thunder, lightning and hail struck in Melbourne's CBD shortly after 1pm today, with hail stones up to five millimetres in diameter turning city streets white for several minutes.The bureau has urged residents to secure loose objects near homes, turns off electrical appliances, listen to the radio for storm updates and avoid driving through floodwaters.