Thousands of people across Western Australia were without power on Sunday after an intense overnight storm brought strong winds, heavy rain and damage across Perth and the stateâs South West, with authorities warning the most dangerous conditions may still be ahead.
Western Power said about 10,000 customers were affected by outages, including roughly 8,000 properties in the South West and about 2,000 in the Perth metropolitan area. Repair crews were working to restore electricity through the day, although conditions were expected to become more challenging as another burst of severe weather moved closer to the coast.
The disruption followed a strong cold front that crossed southern Western Australia before dawn. The system brought damaging wind gusts, heavy rain and reports of fallen power lines in some areas. Emergency services also responded to storm-related damage, with the Department of Fire and Emergency Services receiving around 120 calls for help, mostly from Perth residents dealing with fallen trees, roof damage and water entering properties.
The storm has already produced some severe weather readings. Cape Leeuwin recorded a wind gust of 117km/h shortly before 6am, while Busselton Airport received 51 millimetres of rain by 9am. Perth recorded 19 millimetres overnight, adding to slippery roads, localised water pooling and hazardous travel conditions.
Perth and South West Prepare for Stronger Winds
The Bureau of Meteorology warned that a deepening low-pressure system approaching the south-west could bring damaging to locally destructive winds from Sunday afternoon into Monday morning. The warning area covers a large section of southern Western Australia, stretching from around Kalbarri to Esperance.
Areas south-west of a line from Lancelin to Albany, including Perth, may see wind gusts reaching up to 125km/h. Winds of that strength can bring down trees, damage roofs, cut power lines and trigger further outages, especially in areas already affected by wet ground and earlier storm damage.
The Bureau said the system could produce dangerous weather conditions that are usually seen only once every three to five years in parts of south-west Western Australia. Residents have been urged to secure loose outdoor items such as bins, trampolines, garden furniture and tools before the strongest winds arrive.
Authorities are also warning people to stay away from fallen power lines, avoid unnecessary travel during the peak of the storm and take extra care near flooded roads or debris. Anyone using a generator during a power outage should keep it outside, away from windows and doors, to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Official weather warnings can be followed through the Bureau of Meteorology, while emergency alerts and incident updates are available through Emergency WA.
Read More
For more Western Australia weather coverage, read Swikblogâs report on Cyclone Narelle and WAâs 200mm rain and 100km/h wind warning.
With the strongest winds still forecast to arrive, emergency crews remain on alert across southern Western Australia. More damage and power outages remain possible before the system begins to ease.
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