Waking up in Geelong

On 29 December 2016 a sudden thunderstorm hit Melbourne, resulting in flash flooding across the city, and the usual disruptions to train and tram services.

This photo is actually from May 2016

The tram tracks at Southbank flooded as they always do – the entire area is virtually at the same level as the Yarra River, so the water has nowhere to go.

Trams on my line had to stop because of the flooding. Don't worry though the government is solving our public transport issues with new maps pic.twitter.com/J7aMbuTiNv

— Steel Sheep (@Travinport) December 29, 2016

Pedestrian subways are another usual flooding suspect in Melbourne – with the underpass at Broadmeadows station being one example.

Meanwhile at Broadmeadows station #melbweather #metro @theheraldsun pic.twitter.com/9HOIhLceVU

— Jamal Ben Haddou (@JamalBenHaddou_) December 29, 2016

The subway at Oakleigh was another.

@JamalBenHaddou_ @theheraldsun Oakleigh pic.twitter.com/SDcQl5DcXF

— Jonathan (Jon) (@BrillOBuffalo) December 29, 2016

But tracks at low lying railway stations also ended up underwater. This was Prahran.

I don't think I'll be getting a train from here today.. #melbourneweather pic.twitter.com/4FrLAtj6aZ

— alexjmackey (@alexjmackey) December 29, 2016

Over at Keon Park station a train stopped just in time to avoid ending up in the drink.

Keon Park station. Storm insanity. pic.twitter.com/BYLRK6rnV3

— Alicia Byrne (@AliciaB22) December 29, 2016

But over at Ivanhoe a train was caught in the middle of it.

Not a boat in the Yarra, but a train stuck in floodwater at Ivanhoe station #melbweather #metro pic.twitter.com/WZVSytXOYq

— Courtney Lai (@DrCourtney329) December 29, 2016

Left unable to move.

So this is Ivanhoe station at the moment in Melbourne. The line is out from Clifton Hill to Macleod. It's 15cm deep #melbweather pic.twitter.com/0jSNThx4c9

— Lachlan Downing (@highbookwyrm) December 29, 2016

At least the brand new train trenches on the Franskton line didn’t flood.

No visible problems in the new Bentleigh trench, though outbound trains altered to use platform 3, possibly due to flooding at Moorabbin.☔ pic.twitter.com/L6ANSuyudO

— Daniel Bowen (@danielbowen) December 29, 2016

Thanks to the massive sump pumps at each station.

Footnote

Did you notice how almost every photo I linked to above are portrait format? Just goes to show how the average person uses their smartphone, and explains the plague of vertical videos on the internet.

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