The storm hit Ararat, located 205km west of Melbourne, at about 7.30pm.

SES spokesman Toby Borella said volunteers responded to 10 calls for help just after 7.45pm, with most of the damage in McLellan St.

Emergency crews also responded to reports of property damage in Baird St, Moore St, Kind St and Dean St.

“Two businesses were affected, and a number of homes as well,” Mr Borella said.

Most of the damage consisted of roof tiles coming loose and trees falling over private property, he said.

Several powerlines and fences also came crashing down and a Mitre 10 store was hit.

A number of homes remain without power.

Ararat Hospital was blacked out for about two hours before Powercor crews were able to restore connections.

No injuries were reported.

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Peter Blake said an intense burst of damaging wind, which the SES described as a “microburst”, was the likely cause of damage.

Mitre 10 owner Simon Jones said the winds ripped off the store’s roller door, tore iron from the timberyard roof and knocked down a fence.

“There was a reasonable amount of damage,” Mr Jones said.

“The iron from our timberyard flew into the football ground next door.”

Mr Jones described the “mini tornado” as narrow in its corridor, but “pretty strong”.

“There’s a bit of a clean-up effort (this morning). We’ll be right to open up, I’m more worried about closing without a roller door.”

Ararat Rural City Council Mayor Ian Wilson said the “mini tornado” cut straight through disused brick football clubrooms at Kokoda Park

“The building was blown down and only the two ends were left standing,” he said.

Cr Wilson said McLellan St remained closed to cars while the clean-up continued.

He said the damage was confined to a small part of town.

“It was phenomenal,” Mr Wilson said of the storm.

“I heard an enormous clap of thunder. My parents’ house has some damage, and they said the house completely shook. It was a violent incident.”

Cr Wilson said the council’s emergency plan had been activated to help residents.

Across the state, the SES received about 110 requests for help, mostly for fallen trees and minor building damage.

“We didn’t see the weather translate to too much damage,” Mr Borella said.

“Reports of flooding were quite isolated.”

Melbourne has received 14mm since 9am yesterday – the highest fall of the month.

Viewbank in the city’s northeast received the heaviest rain with 23mm, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

Bureau forecaster Richard Carlyon said most of metropolitan Melbourne had 10 to 20mm.

Mr Carlyon said the Victoria’s southwest and alpine regions experienced the most rain, with Wilsons Promontory receiving 62mm, Mt Hotham 62mm and Port Fairy 61mm.

The metropolitan area has experienced 37mm of rain so far in October, still a fair way from the long-term average of 66mm.

“We’ve had a lot of rain this month but, apart from last night, we haven’t had particularly heavy rain,” Mr Carlyon said.

Up to 5mm of rain is expected to fall in Melbourne today and tomorrow, and up to 10mm in the state’s south.

Wind warnings are in place for the state’s coastal regions and the Gippsland Lakes area.

Melbourne is expected to reach a chilly top of 17C today, with tomorrow’s 16C forecast the coldest of the week.

“The temperature will stay low for a while before creeping up slowly on the weekend to 18C,” Mr Carlyon said.