The State Control Centre issued an alert on Thursday afternoon warning that people may experience asthma symptoms or difficulty breathing due to the combination of thunderstorm activity and high grass pollen levels.
A high thunderstorm asthma warning was issued for the state's north east on Thursday afternoon. A moderate warning was issued for the rest of the state,with the exception of East Gippsland which had low alert issue
A stormy cool change will sweep across Melbourne in the late afternoon bringing with it a moderate thunderstorm asthma risk,authorities warned.
“If you have a history of asthma or hay fever,or you experience wheezing,breathlessness,a feeling of tightness in the chest or a persistent cough,you should have reliever medication with you at all times today,” the message read.
“Avoid the wind gusts before the storm. Go inside and close your windows and doors before and during the storm."
Ten people died as a result of the thunderstorm asthma event of November 21,2016,after grass pollen burst into smaller particles during a thunderstorm,triggering severe asthma in thousands of people across Melbourne.