Owen Clune, 14, was last seen by his family around 8am at his home in Thornbury Crescent.

Police say he told his father he was going to school in Malvern, but it appears he never arrived.

About 12.45pm Owen's stepmother came home and found his school bag and uniform were still in the house.

His mother Bronwen Clune, a journalist, has been using her Twitter account to ask for public help to look for her son.

Ms Clune tweeted about 8pm on Tuesday that Owen was still missing and that he had not contacted any of his friends.

"If there's somewhere a kid might seek shelter near you in pouring rain – please take a look. We need to find Owen," she wrote.

The disappearance of the teenager is "out of character", according to police.

It is not known what Owen was wearing when he left home.  Although he is savvy with public transport, and may have travelled from Malvern using those methods, he has no access to a mobile phone or cash.

Owen is described as Caucasian, 176 centimetres tall, with a slim build. Ms Clune said he has "dark blonde hair" and blue eyes.

Anyone who sees Owen is urged to call triple-0 immediately.