Torrential rain has pummelled Bendigo, flooding shops and damaging buildings.

The SES had more than 150 calls for help, most for water damage and fallen trees.

Bendigo’s Myer store had to close due to flooding after the intense rain hit the regional Victorian city after 3pm.

Peter Anthony Menswear shop assistant, Karen Hasthorpe, said the storm was ferocious.

“It was torrential. Like a typhoon,” she told AAP.

Store manager, Robbie Bayliss, said rain leaked through the roof, into the upstairs storage area and into the ground floor shop.

“I ran around like a maniac upstairs moving the stock. None of it was damaged but we’ll need to have a pretty big clean up,” he said.

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster, Stephen King, said the storm had dumped significant amounts of water on Bendigo.

“I think they had up to about 15mm in 15 minutes,” King told AAP.

King said Bendigo could expect more rain overnight and continuing through the weekend.

A severe thunderstorm warning has also been issued for large parts of Victoria, along with heavy rain alerts.

“Now some of the thunderstorms are showing the possibility of hail and wind, so we’ve had to issue that warning,” King said.

The SES responded to 156 calls for help, including part of a ceiling falling in at a shopping centre at Kangaroo Flat.

The storm moved southeast after hitting Bendigo, and warnings have been issued for people in the northern country and parts of the east Gippsland, Mallee, north central, and north east forecast districts.

Earlier, BOM meteorologist, Andrea Peace, said parts of northern Victoria could see up to 100mm of rain over the weekend.

“The north of the state will see the most over the next three days,” she said.

“In Melbourne, Monday and Tuesday is now looking like potential for more heavy falls. But we’re still watching how that is going to evolve.”

The rain has eased bushfire conditions, however there are still some blazes burning in national parks in Victoria’s west and east.

AAP