Australia’s western coast is being battered by strong storms that bring strong winds and copious amounts of rain due to an exceptionally deep low pressure system.
Typically occurring just once every five years, the extreme weather phenomenon is bringing wind gusts of up to 125 km/h to Perth and coastal communities in Western Australia.
“Act now and stay safe, with damaging to destructive winds expected this afternoon and evening,” WA’s Department of Fire and Emergency Services said in an alert issued on Sunday afternoon. “Rarely experienced winds may bring down trees, branches and powerlines and loose items or debris may become airborne.” Pictures of extensive damage, including one that appeared to be thrown into a swimming pool in Mandurah on the southwest coast, have taken over social media.
Over 28,000 clients are experiencing blackouts, according to Western Power, an electricity company.
Perth, Donnybrook, Balingup, Bunbury, Augusta, Yanchep, Langford, Ferndale, Hamilton Hill, Gosnells, and Stoneville are among the places impacted.
The strongest winds have not yet reached their peak as of this writing. At 3:16 p.m. AWST, Emergency WA issued a warning to residents in the impacted areas to get ready for shelter.
On Sunday night, Perth and the surrounding areas are still being battered by strong winds and rain (photo).
Amidst a powerful storm, reports of widespread floods and blackouts have been made throughout Perth.
A Watch and Act order has been issued for Southwest Washington (in the area indicated above).
Joey Rawson of the Bureau of Meteorology informed Perth that high tides in southwest Washington were expected to subside. “These exceptionally windy conditions are unfortunately not going to go away, and they’re actually going to increase as we move towards the evening,” he said. “Places along the west coast south of Lancelin and all the way around to Albany are going to get winds strengthening.” The most damaging winds would now arrive later Sunday evening.As the evening wears on, we can witness wind gusts of between 120 and 130 kph.
In the morning, wind gusts of 117 km/h were noted at Cape Leeuwin and 104 km/h at Cape Naturaliste.
High tides and eight-meter waves were delivered by the deep low pressure system, which also caused flooding in Perth’s central business district, stuck cars, and flooded sidewalks.
Devastating images showed flooded tides nearly touching the windows of the cherished Blue Boat House, yachts being wrecked in marinas, and damaged electrical wire igniting in floodwater.
As the system moved toward the southwest of the state in the morning, residents were advised to close their curtains and stay indoors away from windows.
A portion of the Blue Boat House (above) is underwater.
In East Fremantle, Perth, electric wiring was observed sparking in floodwater. “When those strong winds are coming through, make sure you stay inside and just stay off the roads, in case of fallen power lines or trees.”
“This situation definitely doesn’t happen every year and the wind is going to be the worst hazard,” Mr. Huntington warned football fans attending the West Coast Eagles vs. Essendon game at Optus Stadium.
An 11-year-old autistic, nonverbal youngster who had gone missing overnight in Perth’s western suburbs during the extreme weather was located safe after a significant police search earlier.
Police and State Emergency Service volunteers had been searching for the kid on foot and on horseback for about eight hours.
As the weather system passed through, some towns in Western Australia had significant rainfall; Ludlow, which is located around 200 kilometers south of Perth, received 43 mm in two hours on Saturday night.
Before going past the Adelaide region later in the day, the cold front and low-pressure systems are predicted to move throughout western sections of South Africa on Monday, bringing with them rain and wind gusts of up to 100 km/h.
The coastal areas of South Africa, as well as the mid-north and southeast, are under severe weather warnings.
