Violent white Christmas in Victoria

It's a white Christmas Melburnians could have done without as hailstones the size of lemons have caused widespread damage across the city.

The State Emergency Services (SES) had received hundreds of calls for help from householders whose homes had been battered by hailstones.

SES spokesman Lachlan Quick says the hailstones have ripped through skylights, windows and roof tiles in Taylors Lakes, Sunshine and Keilor.