TEMPERATURES dropped 12 degrees in less than two hours in Ballarat on Tuesday as squally weather kept local emergency crews busy.
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Weatherzone meteorologist Guy Dixon said gusts in the city reached 70km/h at 3pm and the mercury dropped from 19 to just seven degrees.
Mr Dixon said while storms in spring were not uncommon, they were “becoming less and less common as summer takes a hold”.
State Emergency Service (SES) mid-west duty officer Gavin Kelly said Ballarat crews attended more than 20 jobs, including fallen trees on roads and some instances of minor building damage.
The wild weather may have caught people by surprise, according to Mr Kelly, who said Ballarat fared better than metropolitan and eastern areas where more than 1000 SES calls were made.
Mr Dixon said lightning strikes and thunderstorms south-west of Ballarat in Camperdown also occurred in mid-afternoon
A calmer day is expected in the city today, with winds likely to top out at 24km/h and temperatures hitting 13 degrees.
