in brief
- A “once in five year storm” is battering the south-west coast of WA, leaving thousands of homes without power.
- The low-pressure system driving the storm is expected to move eastward over the coming days.
A formidable storm has recently battered Perth’s coastline, plunging thousands of homes into darkness. As the system progresses eastward, officials are cautioning that the worst is yet to come.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has forecast that the storm will unleash destructive winds, torrential rain, thunderstorms, and towering waves across southwestern Australia on Sunday and Monday. Following this, the storm is expected to advance into the southern and southeastern regions of the country.
Authorities have advised residents in the southwest to draw their curtains and stay indoors, keeping a safe distance from windows as the low-pressure system nears.
BoM duty forecaster Luke Huntington emphasized the importance of securing loose outdoor items. “Tie down things like outdoor furniture and trampolines,” he recommended in a conversation with the Australian Associated Press.
He further advised, “As these strong winds hit, it’s crucial to remain indoors and avoid the roads to prevent encounters with downed power lines or fallen trees.”
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Winds of up to 125kph were forecast on Sunday afternoon across the southwest, from Lancelin to Albany, including the city of Perth itself.
“This situation definitely doesn’t happen every year and the wind is going to be the worst hazard,” Huntington said.
A severe weather warning is in place across the entire south-west coast up to Kalgoorlie and Kalbarri.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services has issued a separate “prepare to take shelter” warning across the entire southern quarter of the state.
“This is a prolonged severe weather event and conditions may change quickly,” it said. “Rarely experienced winds may bring down trees, branches and powerlines and may cause loose items and debris to become airborne.”
Storm system set to move east
Severe weather warnings are also in place across much of southern South Australia and southern and eastern parts of Victoria, with damaging winds expected through Monday.
A cold front is driving across the country, pushed by two “particularly deep” low-pressure systems that are typically only seen once every few years, the BoM said.
“This low pressure system will move into the Bight, as well as this cold front, moving into South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania through Monday and Tuesday,” the BoM said.
“That means that our windy conditions, as well as shower and thunderstorm activities, will track through the southern and south-eastern parts of the country over the next few days.”
Power to be restored soon
Around 8,000 homes in the South West of WA and approximately 2,000 in the Perth metropolitan areas have been affected by power outages, according to Western Power.
The company has said that they expect to restore services to the most affected customers by Sunday afternoon.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services had received 120 calls for assistance, with most relating to fallen trees, roof damage, and water entering properties in Perth, the ABC has reported.
Parts of Perth experienced minor flooding as the city received 19.6mm of rainfall overnight. Riverside Drive in the Perth CBD and the Kwinana Freeway’s Mill Point on-ramp have been affected.
Damaging surf conditions, with waves of up to eight metres, are set to continue along with abnormally high tides.
Residents have been urged to keep away from the water to avoid being pulled into the swell by surprise waves.
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