West Australians are in for a soggy weekend as a cold front threatens to bring hail, storms, and a deluge of rain to the state.
On Friday morning, metropolitan locals awoke to foggy skies and wet streets after rain showered over the city overnight.
While most suburbs escaped the heaviest of the rainfall, Garden Island in Perth’s south recorded a sizeable 11.6mm of rain across the precinct overnight.
In the Perth Hills, the Swan Valley weather station also reported 6.4mm of rain through the region overnight.
Residents in the Goldfields region awoke to a sudden winter wonderland, after overnight hail turned the streets into a scene straight out of the North Pole.
Grey skies continued to linger across the city on Friday, and sadly the experts warn that WA is in for several more days of gloomy conditions.
A strong wind warning has been put into effect for those near the coastlines in Perth, Bunbury, Albany, and Esperance for the rest of Friday.
Winds through the day are anticipated to average between 48 and 61km/hr, with the Bureau warning that gusts could reach speeds up to 83km/hr.
Wind speeds will slightly ease overnight before a strong cold front is forecast to move over the Perth area overnight.
Bureau meteorologist, Jonathan How, told PerthNow the weather system is due to impact the South West first before it crosses over the metropolitan region.
“The main band of this front is due to cross around Capel and Bunbury around 9 or 10pm on Friday evening, but it won’t reach Perth until closer to midnight,” he said.
The Bureau has predicted that the front will cause a “very high chance” of showers through the region, with the organisation also warning Perth locals that heavy thunderstorms and hail could slam the city.
Despite parts of Western Australia being battered by hail overnight, Mr How told PerthNow that any hail across the city will be much smaller and from a separate system.
“Pea-sized hail is coming from WA’s south, which is a separate system than what the Goldfields experienced on Thursday, and it will cause very cold conditions in the city,” he said.
“The hail will most likely occur from a thunderstorm, which causes icy crystals.”
The weather system is anticipated to dump up to 20mm of rain over Perth throughout Saturday.
The soggy conditions have caused the mercury to drop across the city, with the temperature expected to reach a high of 16C — a notable difference from the toasty mid-20C weather that Perth was graced with through most of July.
Those living further north in the State have also been warned of wild weather on Saturday, with a strong wind warning issued for the Ningaloo, Gascoyne, and Geraldton areas.
WA’s South West and Great Southern areas have received an upgraded warning for the weekend — with gale force winds potentially pelting those in the Bunbury and Albany areas with 120km/hr gusts through Saturday.
Rainfall will continue to dribble over the state on Sunday after the cold front has dissipated, however it will be far less heavy than in previous days.
Bureau experts anticipate only 2mm of rainfall for Sunday, a welcome break after two days of heavy precipitation.
Mr How has issued advice to Sandgropers still hoping to get out the house and make the most out of their weekend, despite the wet weather.
“Bring a jacket and check the radar if you’re leaving your house,” he said.
“Take care on the roads if you’re driving as well, as the wet weather can cause low visibility and slippery conditions.”
Winds will ease on Sunday, and the conditions will mostly clear, but the dry afternoon will be short-lived for Perth locals.
A separate cold front on Monday will bring heavy showers and a chance of thunderstorms back to the city.
Commuters beginning their work weeks will need to make sure they pack their umbrellas as up to 15mm of rain is expected to fall through Monday morning.
After days of rain and gloom, the clouds will finally begin to clear by Tuesday morning, with sunny skies expected through the rest of the week.
PERTH WEATHER FORECAST
- Friday: Showers, 10-19C ☔️
- Saturday: Showers, 8-16C ☔️
- Sunday: Shower or two, 6-17C 🌧️
- Monday: Showers, 9-17C ☔
- Tuesday: Cloud clearing, 5-17C ⛅
- Wednesday: Mostly sunny, 6-19C 🌤️
- Thursday: Partly cloudy, 7-19C 🌥️
Forecast sourced from the Bureau of Meteorology.
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