Victorians urged to stay at home as worst weather of year intensifies [Video]

Victorians are being warned to brace for one of the worst weather events of the year, equivalent to a category three cyclone.

Wild winds lashed the state on Sunday night, with the SES urging people to avoid travel and work from home on Monday.

Damaging gusts brought down trees and fences late on Sunday afternoon across the state and high tides and surf warnings forced the closure of some piers.

But the Bureau of Meteorology predicted it would get much worse through the night

“It really doesn’t get more significant than this when it comes to severe weather,” SES Chief Officer Tim Wiebusch said.

Power outages were likely, officials warned.

“To see something this strong is a little unusual, something you see every three to five years,” weather bureau senior meteorologist Michael …