Trains and traffic brought to a crawl as summer storm sweeps through city
The summer storm caused major damage for Perth commuters on Thursday after the city woke up to thunder and heavy rain.
A Bureau of Meteorology spokesman said isolated storms developed off the coast in the early hours of Thursday morning, moving inland and through the Perth metropolitan area around 6am.
As of 08:00 in the morning, the highest rainfall was recorded in Jandakot with 0.8 millimeters. The Perth Metro gauge had recorded 0.4 millimeters.
However, the heavy rain that fell at around 08.20 in the morning caused these figures to increase.
“These storms are driven by west coast troughs that deepen in the vicinity,” the bureau spokesman said.
“As the trough continues in the region, the possibility of a mild storm continues today.
“With low-intensity heat waves continuing in the region, the highest temperature for Perth is expected to be 29 degrees. It will be a generally sunny day, with the possibility of temporary showers or storms.”
The weather has made commutes to and from the city frustratingly long, especially for those traveling by train.
Due to a technical issue, train services on the Mandurah line between Elizabeth Quay and Aubin Grove have been canceled and railway replacement buses are operating.
A statement from Transperth said: “Replacement buses operate between Elizabeth Quay and Aubin Grove. Please allow extra journey time and note that replacement buses may not be able to connect to scheduled bus and train services.”
“Trains will continue to run between Perth Metro and Elizabeth Quay and between Aubin Grove and Mandurah.”
Meanwhile, a train driver told passengers on the Yanchep line that rain and lightning were “damaging the network”.
Others are told to get off the wagons.
While highway traffic was also heavy, drivers were warned to be careful on the roads.
Western Power said outages were “standard” but there were reports on social media of pole-top fires due to electricity passing over power poles during light rain, fog or high humidity.
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Holly Thompson is a journalist at WAtoday specializing in education and the environment.Connect with: X or email.
