Wild weather and wind are expected to persist for days in several states as authorities warn Victorians and Tasmanians to batten down and prepare for power outages.

Victoria’s State Emergency Service urged the community to be alert on the roads and avoid driving if possible in heavily treed areas for the next 36 hours.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued severe weather warnings for damaging winds across south-west Western Australia and parts of South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.

Flooding was also possible in Tasmania’s major rivers and parts of the north-west coast, while dangerous coastal conditions on Victoria’s south-west and east coasts could cause erosion and abnormally high tides for parts of Port Phillip Bay and the Gippsland coast.

Wind gusts of above 90km/h have already been recorded at Aireys Inlet, Kilmore Gap and Mount Hotham in Victoria’s alpine region.

Tasmania Police have issued an alert within the last half hour warning motorists to drive with caution today following strong winds overnight.

There are thousands of power outages across southern parts of the country after severe thunderstorms and damaging winds swept through yesterday.

According to Ausnet in Victoria, there are around 4,600 customers without power. Powercor is reporting another 967 customers who are impacted.