Roofs ripped from homes, powerlines downed by 120km/h winds as suspected tornado barrels through Western Australia’s southwest
A suspected cyclone in the southwest of Western Australia has left a trail of destruction in its wake, with roofs blown off homes and power lines knocked out.
A massive cold front swept across southwestern Western Australia on Monday evening, causing winds in excess of 120km/h.
A Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) spokesman said a tornado or microburst could not be ruled out during the storm, even in the Bunbury area.
“The available evidence is insufficient to confirm,” a spokesman said.
Meteorologists review the radar and damage report to find out if there is enough evidence to pinpoint the weather event that caused the damage.
A severe weather warning for damaging winds was issued for the South West and South Coast regions on Monday and was active until 3.45am the following morning.
BOM recorded damaging winds of 124 km/h at Busselton Pier just before 2am on Tuesday.
Damaging winds were observed on this front; The strongest wind of 124 km/h was observed at Busselton Pier at 01:57 WST.
“Initial assessments indicate that a wind event occurred in Bunbury around 7.30pm-8pm on Monday night with reports of this causing localized damage,” a spokesman said.
Emergency services have been called to several incidents in the Bunbury area, including calls for help from people with damaged roofs and downed trees.
Social media posts warned residents that power lines were downed near a major shopping mall, leaving about 170 homes and businesses without power.
A spokesperson for the City of Bunbury said on Facebook that officials woke up Monday night to see the storm’s impact on the city.
“We know weather events like this can be disruptive, especially for those in our community who are still bearing the effects of the hurricanes and storms of two years ago,” a spokesperson said.
“If you are affected or feeling worried, please know that you are not alone and please check on your neighbours, especially those who are vulnerable or living alone.”
A cold wave is expected to hit the Western Australian coastline again on Wednesday evening.
