THE MEANING OF OZ - All you need to know!

Yes....I haven't had it for that long.

..... A VicRoads spokeswoman said 24 traffic lights across metropolitan Melbourne had failed when a cool change arrived, bringing gusty wind, dust and the chance of thunderstorms.

Melbourne’s temperature dropped 10 degrees to 28 just after 2pm, Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Tony Bannister said.

The VicRoads spokeswoman could not say when if the traffic lights would be working in time for peak-hour traffic.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman advised drivers to give way to their right if police were not present to direct traffic.

Ten thousand SP AusNet customers have had their power cut in suburbs including Belgrave, Bundoora, Endeavour Hills, Diamond Creek, Epping, Narre Warren and Warragul.

In addition, a Powercor spokesman said 5500 customers in Echuca, Hamilton, Kyneton, Castlemaine as well as Sunshine, in Melbourne’s west, had all lost power.

Branches, stones and debris blowing into power lines, along with short-circuiting fuses caused by lightning strikes, had caused most of the disruptions, he said.

The electricity had gone out from 1.30pm onwards and was predicted to be back on by about 4.30pm, the spokesman said.

‘‘It was the blast of weather. There were two fronts that met, one coming up from Melbourne and the other coming down from the north west and they converged in the middle of the state,’’ he said.

The south-westerly change also brought dust to the Melbourne airport observation station, reducing visibility to 100 metres and gusts up to 95km/h.

Mr Bannister said the cool change started at Portland at 6am and took six hours to reach Aireys Inlet.

"It rocketed from there and hit us at about 2pm," he said.

The change brought instant relief from today’s hot weather, which peaked at 38.3 at 12.37pm in Melbourne, 40.7 in the border town of Yarrawonga and 35 at Mildura. Dust and haze was also reported in Melbourne's western suburbs. .....

But how cool is cool in SA right now, Dutchy?

I imagine you're feeling like a wilted lettuce by now, ya poor thing!

18.8!!!!!!

Our cool change move in slowly during the day msolga and it has started to rain lightly for about an hour now. A great relief.