Perth set for downpour as ex-tropical Cyclone Joyce heads south
Updated
Perth could see five times its monthly average rainfall in one day when the remnants of ex-tropical Cyclone Joyce arrive in the metro area after tracking south from the Kimberley.
The cyclone was downgraded to a tropical low this morning, but the Bureau of Meteorology warned the system was still bringing damaging winds and the risk of flooding.
BOM duty forecaster Pete Clegg said Perth residents could be in for a surprise.
"Five to 10 millimetres would be the average amount of rainfall that we'd get out of a cold front in Perth," he said.
"You're talking of getting 30 to 50 millimetres — obviously a fair bit more than that — and definitely not what you'd [ordinarily] get in summer, like you're seeing today, a nice sunny clear day."
In the east Pilbara, the ex-tropical cyclone could bring between 50 to 100 millimetres of rain each day as it tracks south, with isolated heavier falls of up to 250 millimetres near the system's centre.
It is anticipated to pass near Tom Price on Saturday, and Perth could see heavy rain on Sunday afternoon through to Monday morning.
"It's still a little bit uncertain exactly how much we'll get, because as far as the track of the low as it comes down through the South West Land Division it may push offshore, in which case those heavier falls could remain to the north-west of us," Mr Clegg said.
"But certainly it looks likely that we'll see at least more rainfall than you'd expect for an average January day.
"At this stage I'd say there's a pretty good chance by Tuesday we'll be seeing rainfall through a good portion of the South West Land Division, anywhere even south-west of Perth across to Southern Cross and then down across to the Bremer Bay area.
"I think there's a good chance that whole area could receive some amount of rainfall. In terms of how much, again it's little bit uncertain at this stage, but definitely in the order of above 10 millimetres on the Tuesday, but definitely even upwards of 30 or 40 millimetres is a possibility."
Topics: cyclones, weather, cyclone, broome-6725, wa, port-hedland-6721
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