An unusual surge of powerful easterly winds will buffet parts of southern Victoria on Wednesday night, possibly exposing typically safe areas to wind damage.

Most of Victoria's damaging winds typically come from the north, west or southwest as cold fronts or low pressure systems pass over or near the state.

However, a rare surge of easterly winds will be driven through Bass Strait on Wednesday night as a strong pressure gradient develops between a high pressure system south of Tasmania and a low pressure system over Australia's eastern inland.

Image: Forecast surface wind speed and direction at midnight according to the ACCESS-C model, showing powerful easterly winds flowing over Bass Strait and southern Victoria.

A severe weather warning has been issued for damaging winds with gusts of up to 90km/h in parts of southern Victoria and the Grampians. This includes eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Port Phillip and the Surf Coast.

Places inside the warning area that are exposed to the east could be more likely to see damage tonight that they would under a typical severe weather warning scenario in Victoria.

With the strongest winds likely to occur after dark, the remaining daylight should be used to check that loose items, such as outdoor settings, umbrellas and trampolines are safely secured. It might also be a good idea to move vehicles under cover or away from trees if you live inside the warning area.