Bunbury: Potential tornado tears through South West city, causing mass power loss and property damage

A clean-up is underway in WA after a suspected tornado struck the State’s largest regional city.

The storm ripped its way across WA’s south overnight, bringing destructive winds exceeding 100km/h and heavy rain to the South West and Great Southern regions.

Residents in East Bunbury faced significant damage from the system, with multiple properties sustaining damage.

Western Power reports 170 properties in the town remain without electricity on Tuesday morning.

Local media outlets say roofs have been lifted from residential properties and damage from the suspected system focused on the streets surrounding Bunbury Forum Shopping Centre.

A spokesperson for DFES told PerthNow they have received eight calls for assistance on Tuesday morning over the potential tornado.

The Bureau of Meteorology is investigating the nature of the system to verify if this was a tornado or microburst storm.

A spokesperson for the Bureau told PerthNow there is not enough evidence to rule out a tornado.

“Initial assessments indicate a wind event in Bunbury occurred about 7.30 to 8pm Monday night, with reports of resulting localised damage,” they said.

“A tornado or microburst cannot be ruled out for this event in the Bunbury area, and the current evidence is not adequate to make a confirmation.

“Confirmation will depend on whether there is adequate evidence available from radar and damage reports to assess the exact mechanism that caused the damage.”