Tens of thousands of homes and businesses lost power, buildings were battered and trees were uprooted as a vast stretch of the west Australian coast was whipped by a severe storm today for the second straight day.
No casualties were reported from what Acting Assistant Commissioner of Western Australia state’s Department of Fire and Emergency Services Jon Broomhall called “a once-in-a-decade-type” storm system.
This on Grand Prom only 1min drive in a SW direction from the @BedfordAWS
— West Aust WX Watchers 🌧️⛈️🌞⚡ (@WestWXWatchers) May 24, 2020
This came down when we had the highest gust of the system - 45knts at 3.22pm from the NNE. Ready for more to come. #perthnews #perthstorm #weather #extremewind @BOM_WA pic.twitter.com/dIMGl7px2J
The system that struck an extraordinarily large area was the result of remnants of late-season Cyclone Mangga tracking southeast and colliding in the southern Indian Ocean with a northeast-moving cold front.
The combined weather system lashed a 1,200-kilometre (745-mile) stretch of the west coast from Carnarvon to Cape Leeuwin and including the state capital, Perth, with winds gusting at more than 90 kilometers (56 miles) per hour overnight, Bureau of Meteorology manager Neil Bennett said.
CCTV vision captured the moment strong winds sent this roof hurtling down a street in Geraldton today 🌪️ Thankfully nobody was hurt. Stay safe out there WA! #perthstorm @abcperth @abcnews @ABCemergency 📹 Bayley Olden pic.twitter.com/vuA3Ot029r
— Gian De Poloni (@GianDePoloni) May 24, 2020
Wind speeds reached 132 kph (82 mph) at Cape Leeuwin, the fastest for the month of May since 2005.
Heavy rains lashed 1,500 kilometres (930 miles) of coastline from the Margaret River winery region in the south to Exmouth in the north.
The rain and 8-metre (26-foot) waves caused flooding along the coast and eroded beaches, Bennett said.
My favourite Canal Rocks bridge in Yallingup has been obliterated today due to the #perthstorm #perthweather #WesternAustralia
— Chris (@chriswozhanenin) May 25, 2020
Credit to: https://t.co/RmUP2X6h8u pic.twitter.com/bl9UtVhGJl
“It was really right up and down the coast, including the Perth area, but particularly that southwest area of (Western Australia state) really caught the brunt of this one,” Bennett said of the storm.
The storm was subsiding by this afternoon. Up to 65,000 homes and businesses had lost power at the height of the emergency.
But power had been restored to all but 24,000 by the afternoon, Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan said.
The inland gold mining town of Kalgoorlie lost power to 15,000 homes when winds blew a backyard shed into an electricity substation, Western Power spokesman Paul Entwistle said.