Revellers heading to Flemington Racecourse for the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday are in for a wet one.
The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting a cloudy day in the city for the race that stops the nation, with a 90 per cent chance of showers.
There may even be a thunderstorm and hail in the afternoon and evening for the public holiday.
It's a shame the dress code for the members' enclosure specifies gumboots aren't allowed, but ordinary racegoers could do well to swap the heels for boots.
Also forecast is chilly weather, with temperatures hitting a maximum of 14 degrees Celsius, and winds reaching 25 to 35 kilometres per hour in the morning.
For those in other cities heading out to Melbourne Cup lunches, showers are expected in the east coast capitals of Hobart, Sydney, Brisbane, and Canberra, as well as in Adelaide.
A cloudy day is forecast for Perth, while Darwin is looking forward to a sunny day.
Wet weather is also predicted in Melbourne for Oaks Day on Thursday.
The rainy week comes as parts of Victoria are still being hit by floods, particularly in the state's north.
When homes in Flemington were inundated last month, the Victoria Racing Club — which runs the cup — was criticised for its flood wall, with some arguing it diverted floodwater from the track to the surrounding residential area.
And while this year eastern Australia is battling combining factors like La Niña and the negative Indian Ocean Dipole, Melbourne Cup day has historically been wet.
In 2018, wild weather on cup day led to the SES rescuing 14 people from vehicles trapped in floodwater across Melbourne.
The track's rating was downgraded to an 8 out of 10 after Melbourne received more rain in two hours than it received in the previous two months.
