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Weather warning: Bureau of Meteorology confirm storm set to hit WA coastline from Karratha to Albany

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Steve ButlerThe West Australian
VideoA massive storm is set to cross the WA coast from Karratha to Albany.

A vast stretch of WA’s coast from the Pilbara to the Great Southern is bracing for a battering from what is looming as one of the State’s biggest storms in the past decade.

The Bureau of Meteorology tonight confirmed that a deep low-pressure system moving towards the coast would deliver a sustained period of strong winds on Sunday and Monday, including possible gusts of more than 120km/h and heavy rain.

It is expected to first hit the coast near Carnarvon and then spread to both northern and southern parts of the State.

Duty forecaster Stephen McInerney said it was a rare weather event for autumn in WA and it was predicted to be similar to a 2012 storm which prompted more than 600 calls for assistance and 170,000 homes losing power.

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He said the complex tropical low system was developing near Cocos Island and expected the bureau to issue a severe weather warning tomorrow.

The storm is predicted to be similar to a 2012 storm which prompted more than 600 calls for assistance and 170,000 homes losing power.
Camera IconThe storm is predicted to be similar to a 2012 storm which prompted more than 600 calls for assistance and 170,000 homes losing power. Credit: Sharon Smith/WA News

“It’s basically going to affect everywhere from Karratha all the way down to Albany,” Mr McInerney said.

“You’re going to have gale-force and potentially even storm-force winds through all the coastal waters all up and down the west coast. “Rest assured, pretty much the whole west coast is going to see severe weather potentially on Sunday. It looks like a prolonged period of bad weather.”

Mr McInerney said the bureau expected poor weather conditions to continue possibly through to Wednesday.

Seas and swells are expected to be whipped up by the low, with peak wave heights in excess of 8m predicted for much of the coast on Monday, leading to significant beach erosion. Storm tides are also likely to be dangerous and could lead to coastal inundation.

A storm front is expected to smash ‘all up and down the west coast’ this weekend, looming as one of the State’s biggest storms in the past decade.
Camera IconA storm front is expected to smash ‘all up and down the west coast’ this weekend, looming as one of the State’s biggest storms in the past decade. Credit: John Mokrzycki/WA News

Rainfall totals in Pilbara coastal areas are likely to be around 20-40mm with isolated falls from Karratha to Kalbarri near the coast of up to 100mm.

Further heavy falls of rain are also likely down the west coast from Kalbarri to Albany with totals of around 20-30mm and some isolated falls up to 70mm.

Much of the Wheatbelt is expected to see falls of at least 5-10mm, with localities closer to the west coast expecting 10-20mm. The track the system takes will determine areas that see the worst weather but rain and strong winds will affect nearly all of the west coast.

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