Severe weather warning issued for South-West

If you live in Lower West, South West, South Coastal, Great Southern and parts of Central West, South East Coastal and Central Wheat Belt districts you should take action and stay safe with severe weather warning to come.

Locations which may be affected include Albany, Bunbury, Busselton, Katanning, Mandurah, Manjimup, Margaret River, Moora, Mount Barker, Narrogin, Northam and Perth.

This weather is not unusual for this time of year, but could damage homes and make travel dangerous.

DFES advises you to:

If outside find safe shelter away from trees, powerlines, storm water drains and streams.

Close your curtains and blinds, and stay inside away from windows.

Unplug electrical appliances and avoid using landline telephones if there is lightning.

If there is flooding, create your own sandbags by using pillow cases filled with sand and place them around doorways to protect your home.

If boating, swimming or surfing leave the water.

Do not drive into water of unknown depth and current.

Slow down, turn your lights on and keep a safe distance from other drivers.

Be alert and watch for hazards on the road such as fallen powerlines and loose debris.

If it is raining heavily and you cannot see, pull over and park with your hazard lights on until the rain clears.

Take care in areas that have been flooded and be careful driving on gravel roads as surfaces will be slippery and muddy, and vehicles could become bogged.

People are being urged to do what they can to help themselves, if it is safe to do so, before calling the SES for assistance

At 11.43am on Sunday, June 2019 the Bureau of Meteorology advised a series of cold fronts will move over the southwest of the State from late Sunday afternoon and extend east across the South West Land Division during Monday.

Thunderstorms and showers associated with a first cold front may produce DAMAGING WINDS to 100 kilometres per hour which could cause DAMAGE TO HOMES AND PROPERTY along the south coast and adjacent parts west of Hopetoun from late Sunday afternoon.

A second cold front will extend across the southwest of the State from early Monday morning through to Monday afternoon and may produce DAMAGING WINDS to 100 kilometres per hour which could cause DAMAGE TO HOMES AND PROPERTY.

DAMAGING WINDS are most likely over coastal and adjacent areas between Jurien Bay and Hopetoun, however may extend to inland areas with the passage of the cold front. DAMAGING SURF conditions are continuing and could cause BEACH EROSION between Denham and Israelite Bay.

Moderate to heavy rainfall is expected with the passage of the second front on Monday with falls between 20 and 35 millimetres possible along the west coast south of Geraldton. People in the southwest of WA experience a front as windy as this about 5 times per year.

Some roads may be closed

Take extra care on the roads and do not drive into water of unknown depth and current.

Road information may also be available by calling Main Roads WA on 138 138 or visiting www.mainroads.wa.gov.au or your local Shire.

DFES is monitoring the situation.

State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers respond on a priority basis and people are asked to remain patient.

If your home has been badly damaged by a storm, call the SES on 132 500

In a life threatening situation call 000

After a storm SES volunteers make temporary repairs to homes that have been badly damaged, such as roofs that have been ripped off or large fallen trees on homes or cars. Please contact your insurance company to organise permanent repairs.

Visit www.emergency.wa.gov.au, call 13 DFES (13 3337), follow DFES on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dfes_wa, Facebook: https://facebook.com/dfeswa/, listen to ABC Local Radio, 6PR, or listen to news bulletins.

Updates will be issued if further information becomes available.