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Thousands of homes across Victoria are now inundated or isolated by floodwater in what authorities have described as a "major emergency for the state".

About 4700 homes are without power, with the largest group in Apollo Bay.

Evacuation orders have been issued for a number of Victorian towns including Seymour, Rochester, Carisbrook, Wedderburn and Charlton.

LIVE UPDATES: 'Too late to leave': NSW residents trapped as flooding hits

Speaking at the State Control Centre today, Premier Daniel Andrews said 500 homes were flooded across the state and another 500 have been isolated.

Andrews warned that number was expected to rise, particularly in the Goulburn Valley.

Earlier, Andrews confirmed online payments for emergency payments are available for people who've been affected by the flood.

He said already 1500 people have applied for the emergency payments.

"It's about accommodation, food clothing and medicine," he said.

"We're processing those fast we can.

"We'll have money out to people as quickly as possible."

READ MORE: Victorians impacted by floodwaters eligible for emergency payments

Meanwhile, a man reported missing earlier today was found alive clinging to a tree.

Police said the man drove his Toyota Landcruiser through floodwaters near the Loddon River in Newbridge and was washed downstream.

Meanwhile, another woman in her 70s was rescued after becoming trapped in floodwaters in near Newstead.

Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp warned the event was a "major emergency for the state".

Crisp said there were Australian Defence Force personnel that had been deployed into north-east Victoria.

"They are in Shepparton, helping with moving sand bags and filling sandbags," he said.

"This is a major emergency and we consider this a state of disaster.

"At this point in time, while it is a major emergency, everyone is working very well together."

READ MORE: Woman trapped in Victoria's floodwaters reunited with dying dog

'Flood situation still evolving'

Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Diana Eadie has warned that the "flood situation is still very much evolving".

While the severe weather warning has now been cancelled for heavy rain and damaging winds, many flood warnings are currently in place.

"Major flood warnings are currently in place for the Murray river, the Avoca, the Barwon, the Broken, the Campaspe River, the Goulburn river, the Loddon and Maribyrnong river," Eadie said.

However, in good news, the Maribyrnong River has now peaked after bursting earlier this morning.

To 2am today, the highest rainfall total seen in the state was 220mm at Strathbogie North, followed by 209mm at Charnwood.

READ MORE: Aerial vision shows extent of Victoria floodwaters as multiple rivers rise

But the Bureau of Meteorology is continuing to monitor the weather situation – stay up to date with its warnings online.

In Seymour, grandmother Lynn was forced to leave a lot of beloved items behind when she fled her home.

"I was here in the '74 floods, the water didn't get in," she said.

This time, though, her home was left with about a foot (30cm) of water in it, she said.

"It's my family home … my father built that house," she said.

Heavy items like older furniture had to be left behind, along with most of Lynn's clothing.

"I thought because the water didn't get in in '74, even though I put stuff up, I didn't get clothing out," she said.

"I assumed the water wouldn't get in (but) you shouldn't assume, should you?"

Lynn said the impact on the town was "devastating".

"They say there's more to come. You see people's homes inundates, it's awful," she said.

"You wonder whether something more can be done to stop this sort of thing happening."

READ MORE: Families caught out as waters swamp houses in inner Melbourne

Floods near CBD in Melbourne

Dean Narramore from the Bureau of Meteorology said people in north-west Melbourne said "major flooding" could exceed levels of the early 1990s.

Victoria SES chief operations officer Tim Wiebusch said flooding was expected elsewhere.

"But we've also got the Yarra River with all our bike paths, all our recreation reserves that are now underwater at minor flooding," he said.

"So people need to be aware that our rivers are in flood pretty much right across the state now.

"Obviously the catchments are still responding to what has been a very significant amount of rainfall."

He urged people across the state to stay across the emergency warnings, and to prepare for evacuation if their area was issued with a watch-and-act notice.

READ MORE: When will the rain end? Hint, it's not good news

More towns evacuated

Residents from Wedderburn, Carisbrook, Seymour, Benalla and Rochester have been ordered to leave and some people along the Goulburn and Campaspe rivers and Seven Creeks were told to head for higher ground.

Residents holding out against floodwaters in Seymour, north of Melbourne, have been told it's now too late to leave.

The Goulburn River is currently at record levels of 8.2 metres, higher than previous massive flooding in 1974.

Waters there have already started to recede, but not before some residents saw their homes swallowed up.

"I just came to have a look, and my house is just down that street, so I would say that it's gone underwater," one woman told Today.

"Pretty sad to look at. Pretty devastating, because I'm a single mum and got my mum, I look after my mum as well, so, yeah, we just got my daughter and my mum out."

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Narramore said Seymour and Euroa could expect flood levels to ease later today.

But at Rochester and Charlton, the peak won't come until Saturday morning.

"Some major flooding expected (at Rochester) tonight and especially into tomorrow," he said.

"They're expecting major flooding into Saturday, slowly easing Sunday but hopefully by Sunday night dropping out of those levels.

"But there's so much water in the systems at the moment."

In Rochester, which has been preparing for the floods for days, residents have also been ordered to higher ground.

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Anybody who stays in the town past this afternoon is likely to be stranded until Wednesday next week at least, with floodwaters set to top 2011 levels and cut off all roads into the community.

Shortly after 1am on Friday, Vic Emergency said the Skinners Flat Reservoir was "likely to breach", sending three feet (about one metre) of "strong fast moving waters" through the Wedderburn Township along the Calder Highway and out towards Wedderburn Junction Road.

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A relief centre had been set up at the Wedderburn Mechanics Institute Hall and people were urged to evacuate as soon as possible. 

"If the Skinners Flat Reservoir has already been breached at the time of receiving this message, cease evacuation and shelter towards the back of your house for approximately one hour, or until the water subsides," authorities warned.

Myra Swann of the Wedderburn Hotel said police told her the venue should be high enough to escape any flooding but the situation was still nerve wracking.

"The creek behind us isn't as high as what it was in 2011 but we don't know what's going to happen," she told 9news.com.au.

An elderly woman was left badly shaken after she and her two dogs had to be rescued in Seymour.

"I'm scared," she told Today.

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She said the water hadn't quite entered her house yet, but "it was time for me to go".

Keiranne Speechley and her son Will watched their home in Seymour go underwater overnight.

"Definitely weren't expecting it to get this bad," she told Today.

"We've never had floodwaters like this in my time."

She said she and Will had made the decision to leave home yesterday evening, at about 4-5pm.

"We were just watching it steadily rise and then it seemed to come to a bit of a standstill. We thought we'd be okay," Speechley said.

"Then we had another deluge of rain late in the day and it rose about two foot in about 30 minutes and we decided there and then it was get out now or we weren't going to be."

Dozens more areas are still under watch and act alerts for flooding this morning.

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Weather causes transport chaos

V/Line cut all services, including replacement coaches, on the Seymour, Echuca Shepparton or Albury.

On the Geelong Line, trains are operating between Southern Cross and Geelong/Waurn Ponds.

Services will operate between Southern Cross and Bendigo only.

There are currently no train or coach services operating between Bendigo and Epsom/Echuca.

There are currently limited impacts to the Ballarat Line.

The parents of Hannah Clarke believe amendments to stalking laws could have helped their daughter before her life was cut short two years ago.

Queensland Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman introduced the first phase of legislation to combat coercive control on Friday afternoon, designed to tighten laws around domestic and family violence.

Fentiman said authorities intend to amend the definition of domestic and family violence to include a pattern of behaviour, modernise the offence of unlawful stalking and update outdated language in the criminal code.

READ MORE: Inquest into murder of Hannah Clarke and her three children finds failure to protect young mum

The changes come ahead of a move to criminalise coercive control in Queensland by the end of 2023.

"My message is even if there is no physical violence in your relationship, if you are intimidated and in fear because of controlling behaviour, what is happening to you is domestic and family violence," Fentiman said.

"Please come forward, there is help available."

Sue and Lloyd Clarke applauded the new measures to tighten existing laws, which they believe would have helped their daughter's situation "invaluably".

Hannah and her three children died in the Brisbane suburb of Cannon Hill in 2020 when her estranged husband Rowan Baxter ambushed them on the school run, doused them in petrol and set the car alight.

Her mother said before her daughter's death, Baxter had "about six or eight iPhones hidden around the house".

"He would listen to everything she did," she said.

"He had one in the car watching everywhere she went."

READ MORE: Monster storm sinks Melbourne suburbs

During the announcement of the new measures, Fentiman said the laws "need to keep pace with the kind of technology that perpetrators are using to stalk their victims".

"We know that perpetrators use invasive technology to track their victims – where they go, who they see, even restricting the amount of money they can spend," she said.

"It used to be that someone might physically follow a victim around and of course that still happens, but now perpetrators are using sophisticated GPS tracking in victims' cars (and) in children's toys."

Hannah's mother said that measure alone "would've given (Hannah) a bit of ammunition" to have a stalking and criminal offence put to Baxter.

"Unfortunately we didn't get to court but it would've been great to have that if we had gotten to court," she said.

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Hannah's father said education was also needed to put a stop to coercive control.

"We didn't know about it until it happened to us," he said.

"Younger generations, they need to know about coercive control and what a healthy relationship is.

"We need to educate adults as well."

Fentiman said the changes will also modernise outdated language in the criminal code, including the term carnal knowledge and the offence of maintaining a relationship with a child.

The bill introduced today will go to the legal affairs and safety committee to examine.

READ MORE: When will the rain end? Hint, it's not good news

It is expected to be debated in the last sitting week of parliament or early next year.

"It's about sending a clear message to women about what is happening to them is criminal behaviour," Fentiman said.

"By modernising our laws and keeping pace with the technologies perpetrators are using, not only can we help better protect women but we can hold those perpetrators to account."

If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au.

In an emergency, call Triple Zero (000).

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Emergency services have issued a warning to Victorian residents as once-calm rivers and creeks explode their banks across the state, flooding homes and – in some cases – attracting thrill-seekers.

As the flood crisis unfolds, kayakers have been filmed taking on rapids in Darebin Creek, which winds through suburbs in northern Melbourne.

Video shared to Twitter shows at least three kayaks flying down the creek as muddy brown water splashes around them, threatening to capsize the narrow boats.

LIVE UPDATES: 'Major to record' flooding occurring across three states

A Victoria SES spokesperson told 9news.com.au all waterways should be avoided if people have the choice too.

"We would like to take the opportunity to remind people not to drive through, walk in, or play in floodwater, including our full and fast-moving waterways," they said.

"With renewed river rises and very wet catchments, please take great care around our flooded waterways.

"Flood water is unpredictable.

"The extraordinary power and weight of the water in flooded rivers is a threat to your life and the lives of anyone who attempts to rescue you."

READ MORE: Monster storm sinks Melbourne suburbs

Victoria's Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) warns floodwater can contain a range of contaminants, including human and livestock waste, household waste, industrial and medical hazardous waste, debris like cars and lumber – as well as wild animals such as rodents and snakes.

"The main health risks from floodwaters are the transmission of water-borne diseases," it says.

"This can lead to stomach illness, wound and skin infections, and rashes".

Victoria's SES said it has conducted 212 floodwater rescues since the weather event began. 

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Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Diana Eadie has warned the "flood situation is still very much evolving".

While the severe weather warning has now been cancelled for heavy rain and damaging winds, Victoria SES has issued 96 flood warnings across the state.

"Major flood warnings are currently in place for the Murray river, the Avoca, the Barwon, the Broken, the Campaspe River, the Goulburn river, the Loddon and Maribyrnong river," Eadie said.

Residents can stay across all alerts here

Should assistance be required locals are urged to ring 132 500, or dial Triple Zero (000) if it is a life-threatening emergency.

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A New South Wales man who went on an hour-long shooting rampage that killed his neighbour has been found guilty of murder.

Bradley Jason Mark White, 42, fired more than 200 bullets from his home and front verandah into at least four homes and eight cars as worried neighbours ducked for cover in the Wyong street on the state's Central Coast.

Byron Tonks, 20, was struck in the upper body as he sheltered with family in the front living room of his home, where White aimed most of his fury.

READ MORE: Melbourne residents ordered to evacuate as streets go under

While White did not deny killing Tonks, his lawyers argued he had a mental health impairment from a traumatic childhood and a head injury he sustained in 2000.

But a Newcastle Supreme Court jury did not agree, finding White guilty of murder on Friday after about four hours of deliberation.

White, whose March 2020 attack injured two other people, was also found guilty of two counts of shooting with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and four counts of shooting at a dwelling with reckless disregard.

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A forensic psychiatrist and a forensic psychologist told the court that White did have some mental health impairments but knew the nature and quality of the act, and knew the act was wrong.

He may have appeared psychotic to a lay person but "of course, the nature of psychotic phenomena is often misinterpreted by lay people," Dr Kerri Eagle said.

"He's reported taking what, from my experience is, quite a lot (of ice) over that short period of time."

READ MORE: When will the rain end? Hint, it's not good news

Another forensic psychiatrist said the ice – said to be up to one gram on the day of the incident – wouldn't have had an effect on him.

His mood had been unstable in the weeks before the March 17 shooting, shown by irrationality and paranoia towards his neighbours.

His brain was already in an "inflamed" state and only an antipsychotic drug and time could bring him back to normal, Dr Richard Furst said.

White will face a sentence hearing on December 13.

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