A SIGNIFICANT amount of rain is forecast for the Hamilton region today, with approximately 25 millimetres expected to fall on the town starting from about sunrise and continuing steadily through until midnight.

Conditions are also expected to be quite windy and include the chance of a thunderstorm, and the rainfall will be heavier to the north and north-west, with areas such as Balmoral expected to get near 40mm of rain.

Winds will be northerly 20 to 25 kilometres per hour tending northeasterly before dawn then tending northwest to northeasterly 25 to 35 km/h in the morning.

One silver lining is the maximum temperature will not be too cold, with 17 degrees Celsius an expected top temperature and overnight temperatures only getting down to nine degrees.

The wet day will be a result of a low-pressure system in the Great Australian Bight along with a cold front moving from the west but being pushed against a slow-moving high-pressure system in the Tasman Sea.

The high-pressure centre has been directing a northerly airflow over Victoria and the approaching trough will track eastwards and clear the state by late Thursday.

A cooler westerly airstream is expected on Friday as a new ridge builds over the north and a weak front sweeps through Bass Strait.

Residents are advised to take care on roads as heavy rainfall may increase the potential for landslides and debris.

On windy days move vehicles under cover or away from trees, stay indoors and away from windows if possible.

Assume fallen powerlines are live and stay well clear of them.

Stay informed by monitoring weather warnings, forecasts and river levels at the BOM website www.bom.gov.au, warnings through the VicEmergency app and local radio broadcasts.

The State Emergency Service (SES) number is 132 500.