Vineyard worker dies in storm

A woman working in a vineyard northeast of Melbourne was killed by a falling branch
as she ran for cover when a storm swept through the area on Thursday.
Worksafe Victoria spokesman Michael Birt said the woman, 42, was working in the
vineyard at Woori Yallock just before 11am (AEST) when she ran for shelter as the
storm approached.
He said that as she ran toward the vineyard shed, a branch fell on her as she passed
under a line of trees.
The State Emergency Service received more than 600 calls as the storm hit Melbourne
with the majority about tree branches falling on to power lines, roads or property.
At the height of the storm, where winds peaked at around 140km/h, about 8400 homes
in regional Victoria were blacked out as power lines went down.
The worst-hit areas include Ballarat, Castlemaine and Echuca.