Take action with bad weather in south western parts of the Midwest Gascoyne Thursday 18 June 2015 - 2:30 PM If you live in an area between Dongara and Wongan Hills you should take action and stay safe due to bad weather.

This includes people in Coorow and Eneabba and surrounding areas.

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

WHAT TO DO:
• Close your curtains and blinds, and stay inside away from windows.
• Unplug electrical appliances and avoid using landline telephones if there is lightning.
• If caught outside find safe shelter away from trees, powerlines, storm water drains and streams.
• 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.
IF DRIVING: • 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.

WHAT EMERGENCY SERVICES ARE DOING: DFES is monitoring the situation.

STORM/THUNDERSTORM/WEATHER DETAILS: As at 1.58pm 18 June 2015 the Bureau of Meteorology advises showers and thunderstorms are occurring across the south west of the State with an area of heavy rainfall over the southern Central West that may cause flash flooding. These conditions should ease later this afternoon. Coorow has recorded 57 millimetres of rain in the hour between 12:40pm and 1.40pm.

IF YOU NEED ASSISTANCE:

• 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 State Emergency Service (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 and cars. Please contact your insurance company to organise permanent repairs.

KEEP UP TO DATE: Visit www.dfes.wa.gov.au, call 13 DFES (13 3337), follow DFES on Twitter @dfes_wa or listen to news bulletins. For the latest weather warnings visit www.bom.gov.au/wa/warnings or call 1300 659 213.

The next update will be provided when the situation changes.