The Spring Park Nursery owner described awaking to a "howl of doom" as a storm hit overnight Tuesday, bringing down branches and uprooting trees.

"The roar of the wind that came through - I've been in tropical storms but I've never heard anything like this. I thought we were going to get blown away," he said.

"Talk about a howl of doom."

Mr Rae is one of several residents counting the cost of wild weather that lashed the region, bringing rain, hail and winds gusting at up to 91kmh.

More than 30 SES volunteers worked around the clock, responding to leaking roofs, fallen trees and minor storm damage that marked the last day of winter.

The Midland Hwy was closed for about four hours between Daylesford and Blampied after three trees came down.

Volunteers also responded to incidents at Dereel, Cape Clear, Creswick, Gordon, Mt Egerton and Bannockburn.

At Bungaree, local publican Kevin McCarthy awoke to a smashed window, fallen fence and winds peeling tiles from the roof.

"I heard a hell of a noise about quarter past three and the window was busted," he said.

SES duty officer Tony Grimme said the damage could have been worse and has praised residents for taking preventative action.

"Considering the wind and driving rain (I am) very surprised that it's only minor damage. It's been reasonably good," he said.

"It's been pretty fortunate. Obviously people have taken a bit of care, which is good, securing items and putting items away in sheds and things that might cause damage, and cleaning gutters."

Temperatures dipped to an icy 4.7C just after 3pm yesterday and the city recorded its highest rainfall event for the month. Just over 20mm of rain fell in the 36 hours to 6pm last night, taking the August tally to 70.2mm - about

5mm below average.

Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Terry Ryan said wild weather was not unusual for this time of year.

But he said residents could expect a reprieve today with winds set to ease and a fine day forecast after early showers.