Freak storm in Western Australia

Freak storm ruins tiny WA Wheatbelt town

THE tiny West Australian town of Karlgarin has been virtually blown off the map after a freak storm blasted through it.

News.com,,

16 January, 2013

The State Emergency Service (SES) and Volunteer Emergency Service (VES) volunteers said they were working to help people in the Wheatbelt town after destructive storms caused damage to up to 12 buildings in the small community last night.

Authorities said the storm front hit the town about 5pm (WST), bringing heavy rain and strong winds of up to 90km/ph.

Virtually every building in the tiny town suffered significant roof damage, including the school, post office and caravan park.

Hyden VES volunteers were supported by local emergency services volunteers, with Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) staff in Karlgarin to assess the full extent of the damage.

Peter Webster, CEO of the Kondinin shire, said he was not sure if the historic town, which was settled in the 1920s, could recover.

"It is small town, and it is paying the cost this morning," Mr Webster told ABC radio.

"Every building has suffered damage, with most of the roofs blown off.

"It is heartbreaking to see the amount of destruction that has occurred. Being such a small community it might take a bit to come back from that, if it can at all."

Power utility Western Power crews are working to restore power to about 5600 people across the South West and Great Southern regions following storms overnight.

About 1600 people are without power in Bunbury, 850 in Bayonet Head, 600 in Corrigin, 300 in Hyden, 160 in Newdegate and about 100 people without electricity in Trayning and Karlgarin.

"While the damage to the network isn't severe, it is extremely widespread with faults spanning over an area of about 200 square kilometres," a Western Power spokesman said.

"Strong winds have flung trees, branches and other debris in to powerlines. The small town of Karlgarin appears to have suffered the most extensive damage."

A helicopter is also surveying the remote powerlines to check for faults.

Hot night chases a temperature record

Perth sweltered through near record-breaking heat overnight, with the minimum only dipping to 27.3C.

Yahoo

15 January, 2013

The mercury reached 37.3C at 2.35pm yesterday and only dropped below 30C about 7pm.

Last night’s minimum overnight temperature was just .5C below the 27.8C record for January, which was recorded in 1989.

Weather Bureau duty forecaster Peter Clegg said it had been particularly humid in Perth over the past few days because of ex-tropical cyclone Narelle coming down the coast.

“Tonight could still be a little but muggy because we are not really expecting that cool change to come through until the early hours of tomorrow morning,” he said.

“It could still be quite warm for the early parts of tonight and then easing off a bit tomorrow.”

A partly cloudy and humid day is expected today, with a maximum temperature of 36C.

At 5am, the mercury had already reached 30.1C.

On Wednesday and Thursday the temperature is only expected to reach a maximum of 26C before it creeps back up to 29C and over for the rest of the week.

The bureau is warning of severe thunderstorms south of a line from Augusta to Manjimup to Albany.

The thunderstorms could bring destructive winds, large hail and heavy rainfall which may lead to flash flooding,

Storms may cause significant damage to homes and property.

Manjimup recorded 19mm of rain in 30 minutes to 7am and there have been reports