Flash flooding has damaged homes and lightning set a car on fire on Perth’s wettest June day in 37 years.
More than 70 millimeters of rain and other wild weather sparked more than 500 calls to the State Emergency Service across the state as homes and businesses worked to keep the water out on Monday.
At Perth Airport, travellers were forced to wade through ankle-deep water and planes were forced to circle in the air to delay their landing but no flights were cancelled.
Some drivers were seen trying to cross flooded intersections while others took a different route, bringing out kayaks and canoes to paddle through suburban streets.
“Beautiful day for a paddle, isn’t it lads, down at Harrisdale Bunnings,” Joseph Gibson said in a video posted to TikTok.
Paul Williams was driving through the car park of a different Bunnings, in Perth’s northern suburbs, when his vehicle was struck by lightning.
He was able to get out before it burst into flames but the news wasn’t so good for the car.
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The lightning also forced two WAFL football games to be paused for some time as the players were led from the field for safety reasons.
The Bureau of Meteorology warned those who had parked their cars in the open there was an increased risk of trees falling.
“Usually when we get the first winter front that produces these damaging wind gusts it’s the trees that do fall over the most because they’ve been weakened over the summer months,” meteorologist Joey Rawson said.
Residents in every state and territory were warned to brace as storms, powerful winds and possible hail were expected to make their way from WA right across to NSW and Queensland over the coming week.
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