Monster storms leave 70,000 WA homes without power

A series of destructive, back-to-back storms has thrown Western Australia’s long weekend into chaos, leaving roughly 70,000 homes and businesses completely without electricity on Monday morning.

An unusually deep low-pressure system blasted the southern half of the state, unleashing heavy downpours and cyclone-strength wind gusts that topped 135 km/h at Cape Naturaliste. The severe weather severe shattered a holiday weekend for residents, uprooted trees, smashed power lines, and forced inbound flights to Perth Airport to quickly divert, News.Az reports, citing Anadolu Agency.

The State Emergency Service (SES) has already fielded around 700 urgent calls for assistance as the sheer scale of the structural damage becomes clear.

Roofs Torn Off: In the wealthy coastal Perth suburb of Cottesloe, the entire roof of an apartment building was violently ripped away by the wind.

City Center Flooding: In the heart of Perth, authorities were forced to shut down the western section of Riverside Drive after floodwaters completely submerged roads and left vehicles stranded.

Eight-Meter Waves: Relentless gales along the coast whipped up massive swell, hammering popular beaches.

Thankfully, emergency officials have confirmed that no injuries have been reported despite the widespread chaos.

An 'Enormous' Recovery Task Ahead
State-owned utility provider Western Power warned that restoring the grid is an immense challenge due to the sheer volume of debris thrown into infrastructure. Emergency response crews are actively triaging over 180 separate hazards across the network.

Estimated Restoration Time: While crews are working around the clock, Western Power estimates that many families in the hardest-hit blackouts will remain in the dark until at least Monday night.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) is strongly urging residents to stay vigilant. Even though the worst of the rain has moved out, severe hazards remain, and locals are warned to stay at least eight meters away from any downed power lines.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada