Bureau Issues Severe Thunderstorm Warning, Perth Weather Threats Rise

Perth weather shifted at 5.47pm when the Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe thunderstorm warning for parts of Western Australia. The warning covered the Lower West, South West, South Coastal and Great Southern districts as a cold front moved northeast through the South West district.

The bureau said the front was triggering showers and embedded thunderstorms that may produce heavy rainfall in some locations. It also warned that severe thunderstorms were likely to produce damaging winds and heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding in the warning area over the next several hours.

Lingard on Perth Weather

Jessica Lingard, a Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist, said the heaviest rainfall was likely today and tonight. She said there would still be a fair amount of rainfall around, especially tomorrow morning.

The warning named Collie, Harvey, Denmark and Pinjarra as locations that may be affected. Damaging winds were possible in the northern portions of the warning area, giving the alert a wider footprint than a single storm band.

WA Warning Area

Perth residents were told to brace for potential severe weather on Sunday and public holiday Monday. The weather event was described as one that typically occurs once or twice a year, adding to the significance of the front moving through the region.

For people in the warning districts, the immediate issue is the combination of heavy rain and damaging wind in the next several hours. The safest approach is to treat the alert as active through tonight, with Lingard pointing to tomorrow morning as another period with rainfall still around.