Winds of up to 100km/h have whipped up a dust cloud across rural Victoria and greater Melbourne, prompting a severe thunderstorm warning from the Bureau of Meteorology.

The Spirit of Tasmania cruise ship has broken its moorings at Station Pier in Port Melbourne in heavy winds.

The ship has moved parallel to the beach and edged closer to shore.

Witnesses likened the sound of the mooring ropes snapping to that of an explosion.

The Spirit of Tasmania is docked in Port Melbourne. (Chris Harvey/Supplied)

The Bureau this afternoon issued a warning for damaging wind for Caulfield, Craigieburn, Footscray, Frankston, Melbourne City, Rosebud, St Albans, Sunbury, Dandenong, Glen Waverley, Greensborough, Preston and Ringwood.

Winds of up to 100km/h have been detected in Melton and Werribee in Melbourne’s west. The storms are moving towards the eastern suburbs.

A gust of 93km/h was recorded at Avalon Airport around 5.30pm.

Photos from Mildura and the Mallee show a huge wall of dust moving across farmland.

The dust cloud in the Mallee region this afternoon. (Twitter/Brett Hosking)

Do you have photos of the dust storm? Email them to contact@9news.com.au .

Full release from the Bureau:

The Bureau of Meteorology warns that, at 5:35 pm, severe thunderstorms with damaging winds to 100 km/hr were detected on weather radar near Melton and Werribee. These thunderstorms are moving towards the east. They are forecast to affect Caulfield, Craigieburn, Footscray, Frankston, Melbourne City, Rosebud, St Albans and Sunbury by 6:05 pm and Dandenong, Glen Waverley, Greensborough, Preston and Ringwood by 6:35 pm.

Avalon Airport recorded a gust of 93 km/hr around 5:30.