More than 30,000 homes and businesses in Perth lose electricity as strong winds batter the state, with gusts exceeding 125 km/h.
SYDNEY: More than 30,000 households and businesses in the Perth metropolitan area and several other parts of Western Australia (WA) were without electricity supply as of 5 pm local time on Sunday, as strong winds battered the state, reported Xinhua.
The WA Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) said in a Storm Watch and Act message that emergency response crews of the local electricity network operator were working to address more than 160 hazards and outages caused by severe storm conditions.
The DFES said that the damaging and destructive winds associated with the storm front had thrown debris, including tree branches, into the network, damaging equipment and bringing down powerlines.
The DFES said significant roof damage had occurred to apartment buildings in Cottesloe and Bunbury, warning that strong winds could cause roofing materials and other debris to become airborne.
It also warned that the unusually strong winds could bring down trees, branches and powerlines, while lifting loose items and debris into the air.
According to the DFES, widespread damaging westerly winds averaging 60 to 70 kilometres per hour (km/h) with gusts reaching up to 110 km/h, are expected across western parts of WA’s South West Land Division from this Sunday afternoon and continuing into early Monday morning.
Destructive wind gusts exceeding 125 km/h are forecast for areas southwest of a line stretching from Lancelin to Albany, including Perth, on Sunday afternoon and evening.
