UPDATE 6pm: Businesses in Hamilton are counting the cost after flash flooding in the CBD. Read the full story here.

UPDATE 4pm: Due to the heavy rain, Hudsons Circus has announced it is postponing its opening night show in Warrnambool until Thursday. People with Wednesday night tickets can attend Thursday’s event.

UPDATE 3.36pm: Widespread flooding has occurred across the Port Fairy township on Tuesday as stormwater drains backed up after the constant heavy downpours.

Port Fairy State Emergency Service unit controller Stephen McDowell said no buildings had been flooded but many gardens and and garages were underwater.

Port Fairy received 44.2mm between 9am and 2.30pm on Tuesday.

Mr McDowell said his unit had been called out to at least 12 flooding events across Port Fairy that included from around the intersection of the Princes Highway and Regent Street to Awabi Court in the town's west.

"It's mainly flash flooding and the stormwater drains not being able to cope," Mr McDowell said.

He said eight members from his unit were sandbagging premises and pumping water away from others in efforts to protect buildings.

Mr McDowell expected to receive more calls for help as people came home from work to find areas around their homes underwater.

The call outs started about 1.30pm and continued throughout Tuesday afternoon, he said.

In Warrnambool, the Salvation Army opportunity shop in Lava Street was blacked out on Tuesday afternoon when rainwater ran down an interior wall and into a power box.

Tradesmen attended quickly to make the area safe and worked to repair the damage. 

Warrnambool received 48.2mm from 9am to close to 3pm on Tuesday afternoon.    

UPDATE: The heavy rain is causing havoc for some, but it’s giving south-west farmers a reason to smile. Read the full story here.

UPDATE 3.35pm: The Standard photographer Rob Gunstone is in Port Fairy where the SES is pumping water from houses.

UPDATE 3.30pm: The Standard’s Rachael Houlihan and Morgan Hancock have headed to Hamilton as businesses mop up after heavy rain.

UPDATE 3.25pm: The heavy rain has inundated the Russells Creek Trail behind Supergrasse Tennis Courts on Bromfield Street, Warrnambool.

UPDATE: 3.15pm: Police are again urging drivers to take care after a man was lucky to walk away from a crash near Minhamite in wet weather. Read the full story here.

UPDATE 3pm: The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting there is more rain on the way.

UPDATE 2.50pm: The Bureau of Meteorology has listed rainfall totals for areas in the south-west.

UPDATE 2.30pm: Warrnambool SES unit controller Giorgio Palmeri said Warrnambool members were called to attend to a leaking roof at Salvation Army premieses on Lava Street. Port Fairy SES units are also responding to houses damaged by heavy rain.

UPDATE 1.30pm: POLICE are warning motorists to drive to the conditions after extensive rain across the south-west.

Warrnambool had received 25.6mm at 12.30pm since it started raining at 4.30am on Tuesday.

There was a rollover near Coleraine early Tuesday morning and a collision has recently been reported on the Ring Road in Portland involving a car and truck.

Hamilton police Sergeant Dave Walkley urged drivers to slow down and to drive to the conditions.

"We have had reports of water over the road in a number of places. VicRoads officers have been out putting up signage," he said.

EARLIER

Businesses in Hamilton’s CBD are mopping up following heavy rain.

The shops where businesses have been impacted include Gray Street, Brown Street, Thompson Street, Fenton Street and Scoresby Street.

"There were several locations in Hamilton which were effected and just recently we are getting reports from more outlying areas," he said.

The Warrnambool State Emergency Service has not received a call-out but the Hamilton unit is busy according to the emergency.vic website.