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Once a decade storm: Ferocious winds bring down trees, cut power to homes and rip off roofs on day one of WA’s super storm

Rourke Walsh, Daryna Zadvirna & Liam BeattyThe West Australian
VideoDust storms hit Mid West farmers, roofs ripped off and thousands of calls for help during WA super storm.

WA is bunkering down as a savage storm tears down the coastline with wind gusts up to 130km/h and 8m waves predicted to lash beaches as a series of severe weather systems moved across the State.

The freak weather saw more than 190 calls to the State Emergency Service for assistance this evening, with the Mid West emerging as the early epicentre of the carnage after wind gusts ripped homes apart and sent debris smashing into cars.

Storm damage in St James.
Camera IconStorm damage in St James. Credit: 7NEWS/7NEWS

Emergency services are bracing for hundreds more calls tonight when the worst of the storm is expected to hit the metropolitan area and South West.

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Homes and businesses in the metropolitan area suffered roof damage as the storm intensified this afternoon. Shops in Bedford, Byford and St James were all ripped apart while there were reports of a radio tower bringing down powerlines in Bassendean.

Western Power said an estimated 60,000 homes and businesses have no power.

A destroyed house in Waggrakine, Geraldton against an eerie pink backdrop of dust.
Camera IconA destroyed house in Waggrakine, Geraldton against an eerie pink backdrop of dust. Credit: supplied/supplied

Geraldton resident David Kidd was driving home through the suburb of Waggrakine about 11.30am when he saw the front wall of a weatherboard home shaking violently. He stopped to film on his mobile phone and seconds later the property was torn apart.

“The house was blown away so quickly,” Mr Kidd said. “The home owner turned up just after the video, she was in hysterics. I yelled at her not to go near because the powerline was down. It’s so lucky she wasn’t home, but this is devastating.”

Geraldton couple Bronson Cox and Sharree Williams were lucky to avoid serious injury after a tree branch impaled their car windscreen as they drove home about 9am from checking their boat was tied down.

A destroyed building in Bedford.
Camera IconA destroyed building in Bedford. Credit: Twitter/Twitter

“We were driving along and we saw a branch fly off and it landed on a roof,” Mr Cox said. “I had a bit of a chuckle and said ‘how crazy is the weather’ but two seconds later there was a branch that impaled the windscreen. The thud came first ... and then it just shattered all the glass. Sharree was in a bit of shock.”

Ms Williams said the branch had come within centimetres of her face but that it was lucky a larger part had hit the roof panel or it could have impaled her in the front passenger’s seat.

“Where it hit the roof was probably the bigger part of the branch,” she said. “If that came through the window it probably would have come straight through.”

Bronson Cox and Sharee Williams who saw a branch go through their windshield whilst driving in Geraldton.
Camera IconBronson Cox and Sharee Williams who saw a branch go through their windshield whilst driving in Geraldton. Credit: 7NEWS/7NEWS

In Perth, seven staff were caught inside a St James pharmacy when its roof was ripped off about 4pm. No one was injured but the workers were left shaken, according to their boss.

A neighbour across the road said he heard a “huge crashing bang” and saw a flash across the sky as the roof was blown away and powerline brought down. “I first thought it was lightning but it would’ve been sparks coming from the power pole,” he said.

Bronson Cox and Sharee Williams look at a branch that went through their windscreen.
Camera IconBronson Cox and Sharee Williams look at a branch that went through their windscreen. Credit: 7NEWS/7NEWS

Bedford’s Talin Thai restaurant on Grand Promenade also copped some severe damage about 4pm. The owner Rungrat Pinklai described the terrifying moment when she was inside with two other staff and heard a “very loud bang”.

“Suddenly the roof at the front started to collapse,” she said. “The bricks came down first and then the roof went. We didn’t know what was going on. It was very, very scary ... after a few minutes we ran out.”

The Bassendean State Emergency Service fixing roof damage to a home in Bassendean.
Camera IconThe Bassendean State Emergency Service fixing roof damage to a home in Bassendean. Credit: Ross Swanborough/The West Australian

Ms Pinklai said fortunately no one was at the front of the buildings at the time and no one was hurt. “It was very lucky ... an Uber driver was supposed to be coming to pick up an order,” she said.

Scarborough mother Niamh Moloney, 33, was nursing her newborn when a neighbour’s tree crashed down on to her carport and “harpooned” her antenna through her ceiling.

Niamh Moloney with her destroyed carport.
Camera IconNiamh Moloney with her destroyed carport. Credit: Simon Santi/The West Australian

“It happened straight in front of us — the antenna on the roof just harpooned through the roof and some of the roof came in as well as the top of the wall,” she said. “I was sitting on the couch breastfeeding my newborn, my partner was beside me and our two-and-a-half-year old was just left of the damage just lying on the floor with his teddy bear so we were very lucky that no debris hit him.”

Despite the wild weather, hundreds of surfers were out chasing the big swell at WA beaches. One surfer told 7NEWS he was not concerned by the conditions and hoped for some big waves.

“I was just trying to see if I could catch some waves but it was a bit big,” he said. “I’ve got my wetsuit on so it’s not too bad.”

Department of Fire and Emergency Services Supt Danny Mosconi said severe weather warnings were in place for a large part of the State tomorrow.

“We are asking the community to exercise caution,” Supt. Mosconi said. “Stay indoors wherever possible and be mindful of any hazards like debris or fallen branches. Don’t go out on the water. You will be risking not only your life by the lives of the marine rescue volunteers who will be called to help you.”

A large tree branch down in Willagee.
Camera IconA large tree branch down in Willagee. Credit: Michael Wilson/The West Australian

Weather Bureau State manager James Ashley said the storm was a “rare event” and the combination of multiple weather systems clashing.

Mr Ashley said the moist tropical air coming down from the north as a result of ex-tropical cyclone Mangga had been met by a cold front of dry unstable air that was causing a trough line of storm activity covering more than half of the State.

“A deep low pressure system will form off the south-west corner and will move closer to the south-west of the State while there is still the possibility of low pressure systems forming in a trough line and impacting part of the west coast,” he said.

A home’s roof was blown on to the road in Wonthella, Geraldton.
Camera IconA home’s roof was blown on to the road in Wonthella, Geraldton. Credit: City of Greater Geraldton/City of Greater Geraldton

“Seas and swells are already being whipped up by the system and we are expecting peak wave heights, particularly on Monday, of over 8m. We are still expecting isolated gusts up to 130km/h. Pretty much the whole of WA will be affected by this system which makes it really quite unusual.”

Surfers making the most of the stormy waves in City Beach.
Camera IconSurfers making the most of the stormy waves in City Beach. Credit: Ross Swanborough/The West Australian

Parts of the State’s north are expecting up to 100mm of rain while southern areas up to 50mm. WA’s agricultural areas, where farmers were desperate for rain after a dry start to the year, are also expecting between 10mm and 20mm.

Holidaymakers in WA’s South West are being warned not to drive back to Perth until weather improves.

DFES was also monitoring a bushfire near Waggrakine that briefly threatened lives.

For SES assistance, call 132 500.

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