Drivers trapped on roofs of cars on flooded freeway in Victoria

Seventeen people have been choppered out and about 100 others were left stranded in their cars on a flooded Hume Highway in Victoria.

More than a month’s worth of rain was dumped across parts of northeast Victoria as wild weather raged across the state on Thursday.

Authorities said some drivers did not heed warnings about driving into floodwaters and were left trapped.

“We’ve seen people that have had to be rescued from the roofs of their cars, 17 people in total, and 100 people have been stranded just to the south of Wangaratta,” Victoria State Emergency Service Chief Officer Tim Wiebusch told reporters.

“Early indications [are] the Hume Highway will be impacted for another 48 hours, that’s particularly on the southbound lanes of the Hume Highway, just south of Wangaratta, so people are advised to check the VicRoads website for traffic diversions in those areas.”

The Bureau of Meteorology says there has been record-breaking rainfall across the northeast in the 24 hours to 9am on Thursday and the few hours since, including 162mm at Everton and 110mm at Eldorado.

Emergency Management Commissioner Andrews Crisp said it cost “thousands and thousands” of dollars to rescue people by helicopter.

“There’s a certain degree of frustration, where people – after many, many warnings – continue to make the poor decisions, foolish decisions, in fact, to drive into flood water,” he told reporters.

“They’re putting themselves at risk, they’re tying up emergency services unnecessarily. So it’s just… a dumb thing to do.”

The SES has received more than 400 calls for help, with 300 of those dealt with.

The moisture from Tropical Cyclone Owen is feeding the low-pressure system over Victoria on Thursday, which is forecast to bring heavy rain and thunderstorms.

Hailstones about 2cm in size could fall as damaging winds gusting up to 90km/h sweep through the warning areas.

A severe weather warning for heavy rain is in place across most of the state.

Rainfall is expected to continue on Friday, with some parts of the state likely to get 20mm to 50mm, while the Gippsland Coast and Otway Ranges are bracing for more than 100mm.