Severe thunderstorms lash Perth and southwest WA
Perth residents are warned to seek shelter away from trees, powerlines and storm water drains. Photo: AAP
Western Australia has been hit by severe thunderstorms, heavy rain, flooding and strong winds, with more to come.
Intersections and low-lying areas were awash on Wednesday as the storms lashed Perth and the state’s southwest, cutting power to thousands.
Jarrahwood and Pemberton recorded 56 and 50mm of rain since 9am respectively, as 95km/h wind gusts slammed into the holiday town of Busselton.
In Perth, social media sites were filled with images of homes with tiles ripped off, cars stuck in flooded car parks and inundated streets.
About 8000 homes and businesses lost power as the winds brought down trees and powerlines across the city.
Rottnest and Garden islands recorded wind gusts over 110km/h, with Perth airport and Jandakot hit by 93 and 89km/h gusts.
WA Police were also affected, with Kwinana police station forced to shut its doors due to the power outage.
“The station is closed to the public but our officers are still out responding to calls from the community,” the station tweeted.
The Bureau of Meteorology warns that more severe weather is on the way, with residents in the goldfields, Gascoyne region, southwest, Perth and Great Southern region told to prepare.
Rural towns that could be affected by heavy rain and destructive winds include Albany, Bunbury, Esperance, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, Manjimup, Margaret River, Mount Barker, Mount Magnet, Narrogin and Northam.
An earlier thunderstorm warning has been cancelled.
– AAP