Perth braces for summer rain from ex-tropical Cyclone Joyce as firefighters contain hills blaze
Updated
The Perth metropolitan area has been warned to brace for up to three months' worth of rain in one day as the remnants of tropical Cyclone Joyce continues to move over the southern half of the state.
The category one system crossed the Pilbara coast on Friday afternoon, dumping heavy rain in the region including 70 millimetres of rain on Mullewa — east of Geraldton — as it moved south.
Emergency authorities issued a warning at 11:35am for people to take action with severe weather to hit the Perth metropolitan area, Midwest-Gascoyne and Goldfields-Midlands, including Moora, Northam, Toodyay and Wongan Hills.
Duty forecaster at the Bureau of Meteorology Austin Watkins said the system was continuing to weaken but Perth could get some heavy rain, potentially equalling the summer average rainfall.
"We can expect anywhere between 15 and 45 millimetres in Perth today though the heavier falls are more likely over the northern suburbs," he said.
"We'll see winds from the east averaging around 30 to 40 kilometres per hour."
The average annual rainfall for Perth is 11.3mm in December, 16.7mm in January and 13.6mm in February.
Mr Watkins said a road weather alert had been issued for Perth and motorists were being warned to slow down.
"Certainly after a prolonged dry spell the roads may be a little bit more slippery than normal, so take extra care," he said.
"The low did slow down over the past 24 hours, so it's just delayed the onset of the rain, but certainly it is still there."
Firefighters look to the skies
The rain will be a welcome relief for emergency services who are battling a bushfire at in the Perth hills suburb of Mundaring.
The blaze, the cause of which is being treated as suspicious, started around 8:00am on Sunday and so far has burnt about 4,000 hectares of bush.
It caused a thick plume of smoke which yesterday blanketed the city of Perth, but has spared properties in the area.
The fire has been downgraded as it no longer poses a threat to life or property, but firefighters are warning residents to remain vigilant.
Police have formed Strike Force Vulcan to investigate the cause of the fire and are asking the public to help identify suspicious activity around Gorrie Road, near Chamber Road, on Sunday morning.
They particularly want to speak to the owner of a grey early 2000 model Ford Falcon that was seen on Gorrie Road in the area of Hancock Brook.
Topics: bushfire, rainfall, rain-forests-and-forest, cyclone, mundaring-6073, perth-6000
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