Thousands without power in Perth as destructive storms hit WA

Severe Storms Batter Western Australia, Leaving Thousands Without Power

Tens of thousands of residents in Western Australia have been left without power as a series of intense storms lashed the state's south and west coast, with authorities warning that the worst conditions were still to come. The severe weather, which began over the weekend, brought destructive winds, heavy rainfall, and flooding, causing widespread damage and disruption across the region.

According to Western Power figures, at least 30,000 customers have been hit by outages across the state, with more than 250 storm-related outages in the South West alone. Reports from ABC Australia indicated that about 8,000 homes in the South West and a further 2,000 in the Perth metropolitan area were affected initially, while The Guardian reported tens of thousands of residents without power in Perth. Western Power estimated that most outages would be resolved by Sunday afternoon or early evening.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued severe weather warnings for a large part of southern WA, including the Great Southern, Central Wheatbelt, and southern Goldfields regions. The warning highlighted the risk of damaging to locally destructive winds, with gusts predicted to exceed 125km/h in some areas—a speed typically associated with category two cyclones, as reported by The Guardian. The BOM's warning described the conditions as "dangerous weather that is only seen once every three to five years in the south-west of Western Australia."

Coverage Comparison

Both ABC Australia and The Guardian have provided extensive coverage of the storm's impact. ABC Australia's reports have focused on the ongoing damage and the emergency response, detailing the hundreds of calls for help received by the State Emergency Service (SES). The Guardian's coverage has emphasised the cyclone-strength winds and the broader weather system's trajectory, noting that the storm would bring a "wintry blast" to eastern parts of the country early in the week.

While both outlets reported on the power outages, the specific figures varied between reports and over time. ABC Australia initially reported about 10,000 customers affected, but later revised that figure to at least 30,000 as the storm's impact expanded. The Guardian similarly noted tens of thousands without power in Perth, aligning with the higher estimate.

Key Claims

• Power Outages: Tens of thousands of residents across Western Australia, including in Perth, have been left without power due to the storm. Western Power data cited by ABC Australia showed at least 30,000 customers had been affected, with more than 250 storm-related outages in the South West.

• Wind Gusts: Destructive wind gusts of up to 125km/h were forecast for areas south-west of a line from Lancelin to Albany, including Perth. A wind gust of 135km/h was recorded at Cape Naturaliste on Sunday evening, as reported by ABC Australia. The strongest gust recorded at Cape Leeuwin was 117km/h, according to a separate ABC report.

• Rainfall: Heavy rainfall accompanied the storms. Busselton Airport recorded 51 millimetres of rain to 9am on Sunday, while Perth recorded 19 millimetres overnight. In Harvey, the BOM recorded more than 40 millimetres of rain in an hour, leading to flash flooding, as detailed by ABC Australia.

• Festival Cancellation: Fremantle's WA Day festival was cancelled due to the forecast of continued strong winds, as confirmed by ABC Australia.

Clean-Up in Harvey

Residents in the South West WA town of Harvey, 140 kilometres south of Perth, are facing a significant clean-up after a severe storm left homes flooded. The BOM recorded more than 40 millimetres of rain at Dingo Road, east of the town, in the hour to 2:30pm. Resident Kendall Bingham described the storm as unlike any he had seen in the area before, noting that his property was inundated within an hour. "We thought it was just going to be a normal day, you know, like a bit of rain here and there. It came unannounced and got everyone by surprise," he said. The Department of Fire and Emergency Services received six calls for help with water ingress in the area.