THE Mornington Peninsula was in the eye of the storm on the weekend and escaped the worst of a 'once in a century' storm that damaged people, cars, homes and other structures in Melbourne with hailstones as big as lemons.
Sorrento SES deputy controller Bill Cosimi said he had kept a keen eye on weather radars all last week, watching the storm build as it headed towards Victoria and waiting for the peninsula to "cop it bad".
"You could see the massive storm coming across and there was a tiny gap in the middle that passed right over us," he said.
Although some good rainfall was recorded at Melbourne Water rainfall stations at Arthurs Seat and Devilbend Reservoir near Moorooduc, the totals were below most other stations in metropolitan Melbourne.
Arthurs Seat recorded 41millimetres of rain over the weekend, including Friday, while the total at Devilbend was 39mm.
The rainfall came in two main lots - Saturday afternoon, when the biggest storms struck Melbourne, and Monday morning.
Mr Cosimi said Melbourne's south-east copped the brunt of the storm and the Sorrento unit had sent trucks and volunteers to help SES crews in the Knox area.
"They've been hit pretty hard; they got about 1500 calls over the weekend," he said.
Crews from Frankston SES also helped colleagues in Knox.
Melbourne Water issued a statement, saying the storms "delivered an unseasonal, but very welcome, boost to Melbourne's water storages".
There were good falls in water supply catchments, including the Thomson and Upper Yarra reservoirs, which feed into Cardinia Reservoir, from where the peninsula gets its water. Peninsula vineyard managers and winemakers breathed a sigh of relief as bands of hail dodged their laden crops.
Harvest has started in vineyards across the peninsula and hail could have led to significant losses in what is, by all reports, shaping up to be a great vintage.
Tyson Lewis, viticulturalist at Red Hill Estate and chairman of Mornington Peninsula Vignerons' Association technical committee, said the rain had caused a slowdown in the hectic schedule of vintage - the period of picking and pressing grapes and beginning the winemaking process.
Vines have taken up water, diluting flavours and causing a halt to the accumulation of sugar in grapes, but this will correct itself with a few days of fine weather, he said.
"There is a disease risk with the wetness, but the fruit was anyway in such good nick that it looks like it won't be a problem."
Forecast sunny and windy weather this week is expected to minimise the risk of fungal infection.
A relatively cool season and long, slow ripening period has produced excellent quality fruit and good yields throughout the peninsula.
Harvest, which began in early February in some vineyards over recent years, has pushed back into March this year, more in line with what was once considered "normal".
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