WA Thunderstorm Brings Widespread Damage
A thunderstorm which brought heavy rain over Western Australia, particularly the city of Perth and the town of Williams, caused widespread damage overnight.
Over 43 millimetres of rain were dumped to Perth overnight, with most of the rain gathered within only an hour. The weather bureau reported Perth received more rain in 45 minutes last night than it usually does for the whole summer.
But the heaviest rainfall was around Williams, reported the ABC News, which received photos taken by audience across WA.
Williams farmer Heather Williamson told ABC she had 135 millimetres dumped on her property. Due to the damages, she said she does not even know how they could get to her farm now.
Williams Shire CEO Ryan Duff said that four families had to be evacuated from their flooded homes in the town. Meanwhile, Western Power says over 600 homes lost power amid the savage weather in Williams.
WA Farmers Federation president Mike Norton says the overwhelming amount of rain is "not a pretty sight" for grain growers and farmers growing pasture for livestock.
"With the rain that we had last week, and the sorts of falls that we're having, 40 and 50 mls on top of that, it's going to be a total disaster for some grain and sheep farmers out there," Mr. Norton said.