Hailstorm transforms WA outback landscape and cuts power to thousands
Severe hailstorms have struck Western Australia's Midwest and Wheatbelt regions, leaving thousands without power and covering the ground in ice.
Power outage affects remote communities
About 15,000 homes and businesses lost electricity after a fault occurred in a 600-kilometre feeder line. The outage impacted areas including Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Merredin, Kondinin and surrounding towns late yesterday. Station caretaker Kez Mac drove north of Mount Magnet when hail began striking her vehicle. She described the scene as looking like a white Christmas with red rock and white ground.
Farmers face halted harvest operations
Approximately 16mm of rain fell in Ogilvie, stopping harvest work for local farmers near Geraldton. Harrison Pluschke noted that four or five days of rain prevented harvesting on his property. In Northampton, farmer Scott Bridgeman welcomed the cooler conditions which reduce stress from fire risks. Some neighbours reported up to 50mm rainfall while others received as little as 5mm.
Meteorologist warns of continued storms
Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Dean Narramore stated that 30 millimetres of rain fell in Mount Magnet within 30 minutes. He described this amount as equivalent to multiple months worth of rainfall for the region. The system was particularly intense and slow moving compared to typical sporadic storms for this time of year. Mr Narramore said hit and miss storms would continue across WA's inland areas over the coming days.
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