Take action with bad weather in parts of the Midwest Gascoyne, Goldfields Midlands and Perth Metropolitan regions

Thursday 30 July 2015 - 4:34 PM

If you live in an area west of a line from Geraldton to Morawa to Southern Cross to Hyden to Mandurah you should take action and stay safe with bad weather to continue.

This includes people in Geraldton, Jurien Bay, Dalwallinu, York, Southern Cross and the Perth Metropolitan region and surrounding areas.

This is weather is not typical for this time of year and could cause damage to homes and make travel dangerous.

WHAT TO DO:

• 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.

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.

STORM/THUNDERSTORM/WEATHER DETAILS:

As at 4.05pm on 30 July 2015 the Bureau of Meteorology advises a rain band with embedded thunderstorms currently lies across northern parts of the warning area. At 3:30 pm, satellite and radar imagery showed areas of moderate to heavy rain between Geraldton and Lancelin, extending eastwards towards Southern Cross.

Areas of heavy rain will extend southwards during Thursday evening and will lie close to or over the Perth Metropolitan area. Heavy rainfall is more likely over areas to the north of Perth but there remains a risk that Perth will receive rainfall heavy enough to cause FLASH FLOODING. The period of greatest risk for the Perth Metropolitan area is from about 8pm Thursday through to about 2am Friday morning.

The rain band is expected to produce HEAVY RAINFALL that may cause FLASH FLOODING through parts of the warning area. The rain will ease during Friday morning and contract eastwards.

Flood Watches have been issued for the Central West, Central Wheat Belt and Lower West Districts. For further details please refer to http://www.bom.gov.au/wa/warnings/.

There is also the slight risk that thunderstorms with DAMAGING WINDS in excess of 90 kilometres per hour could cause DAMAGE TO HOMES AND PROPERTY during late Thursday afternoon and evening northwest of a line from Lancelin to Wongan Hills to Morawa to Geraldton. This risk of DAMAGING WINDS will ease during Thursday evening. Damaging winds are not expected in the Perth Metropolitan area.

Between 9am and 3:00pm Thursday, the following rainfall totals have been

recorded:

Watheroo (DAFWA): 24.8 millimetres.

Three Springs (DAFWA): 24.2 millimetres.

Warradarge East (DAFWA): 20.8 millimetres.

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.