Wild weather turns Northam’s roads into rivers as storms hit Wheatbelt and Perth

Flash flooding turned the streets of Northam into rivers yesterday as a storm saw the Wheatbelt town hit with 38mm of rain in just 25 minutes.

Cars with water up to their headlights were caught on camera trying to get home in the wild weather, with at least one left stranded on the roads around the McDonald’s on Peel Terrace.

But locals will have little chance to clean-up with heavy rain predicted again today. Bureau of Meteorology WA duty forecaster Catherine Schelfhout said Northam could expect another 20-45mm.

Storms hit areas across the south west of the state just after 5pm yesterday, with some suburbs in Perth's north pelted with large hail accompanied by thunder and lightning.

However, the rainfall was relatively light in the city with just 1.6mm falling. Bickley was the suburb with the highest rainfall with 6.2mm.

Greenough River recorded the southern area’s biggest rainfall tally with 61.8mm, followed by Dalwallinu and Perenjori with 47.8mm in the 24 hours to 8am.

The strongest wind gusts were detected in New Norcia at 89km/h.

The State Emergency Service responded to more than 30 requests for assistance late yesterday afternoon and into the night, with damage reported in the Goldfields/Midlands regions and in the metropolitan area.

Most calls for assistance were in Northam where there 21 calls for help relating to flash flooding and homes being inundated. Volunteers from Northam SES made temporary repairs to homes overnight. repaired.

In Perth, eight calls for assistance were received for homes affected by water overnight.

The wet weather is set to continue across the lower part of the State today with showers and thunderstorms forecast.

Perth is set to receive another drenching with about 10-30mm set to fall.

PERTH FORECAST

Today: 23C, possible storm, 15-30mm

Thursday: 19-26C, a few showers, possible storm, 1-5mm

Friday: 19-26C, partly cloudy

Saturday: 18-27C, partly cloudy

Sunday: 19-30C, mostly sunny

Monday: 19-32C, mostly sunny

Tuesday: 20-33C mostly sunny