Damaging wind and heavy rain will affect parts of eastern and central Victoria during the next two days, with a particularly dangerous surge of weather expected to hit the state tonight.

A low pressure system will develop to the east of Victoria on Wednesday, causing a stream of moisture-laden winds to flow across Victoria from the south.

These southerly winds will strengthen during Wednesday, bringing a risk of damaging gusts and a sustained period of heavy rain.

-- WIND --

Dangerous winds will occur between Wednesday afternoon and early Thursday morning, when average wind speeds are likely to reach 50-70 km/h over exposed areas of central and eastern Victoria.

Image: Forecast surface wind speed and direction at 9pm AEDT on Wednesday, according to the ACCESS-C model.

The strongest winds are likely to occur along the southern Gippsland coast, over Port Phillip and across the central and Gippsland ranges. Wind gusts could reach 100-120 km/h in these areas, which is strong enough to cause damage to trees and some infrastructure.

-- RAIN --

Showers and areas of rain will be falling over central and eastern Victoria throughout Wednesday, before a period of more sustained and heavy rain develops on Wednesday night into Thursday morning.

Image: Forecast accumulated rain during Wednesday and Thursday combined, according to the ACCESS-C model.

Accumulated rainfall totals of 100 to 250 mm are likely in parts of the West and South Gippsland and parts of Central, North Central and North East Forecast Districts, with the heaviest falls expected on the exposed ranges. This rain will be heavy enough to cause areas of flash flooding and minor to moderate riverine flooding.

Conditions will ease into Thursday afternoon, although another burst of rain will develop in eastern Victoria on Friday into Saturday.