Description

11-12 July 2002

An intensifying low off the south coast caused damaging winds, measured to 130km/h at Cape Leeuwin and to 109km/h in Perth, over the lower west coast. Despite widespread power outages damage was generally minor and less than expected given the wind intensity. One house in Mandurah was unroofed, and large trees fell on a house in Darlington and Bibra Lake.

24 July 2002

Suspected tornados caused very localised damage at Rockingham (six houses at 8am) and Dowerin (two houses at 10am) associated with a front.

8-9 August 2002

A front caused heavy rain and damaging winds across the lower west overnight. About 20 homes suffered water damage in Perth. Serpentine and Karnet recorded falls to 60mm. Coastal sites in Perth recorded winds to 104 km/h.

14-15 August 2002

A front caused strong winds about the lower southwest overnight, Rottnest Island recording 113 km/h at 9pm. The SES received about 35 requests for assistance for generally minor damage.

1 September 2002

A front caused strong winds about the lower southwest, Busselton and Cape Leeuwin recorded gusts over 100km/h. No significant damage reported.

18 November 2002

A front caused strong winds, measured to 105km/h in Perth, about the lower southwest. Over 45000 Perth homes were without power and the SES received 170 calls for assistance. In Fremantle Harbour, the 40,607-tonne livestock carrier Al Messilah swung away from its berth at North Quay when bowlines broke. Although widespread, damage was generally minor.

5-6 Oct 2002

A deep low off the southwest caused strong winds about the lower west on the afternoon and evening and then to the south coast the following morning. The Geraldton to Albany pressure gradient reached 20hPa, only the eighth time since 1965. However, damage was generally of a minor nature.

17 Oct 2002

A front swept across southern WA producing tornadoes at Rockingham and Innaloo/Tuart Hill in Perth, Witchcliffe (Margaret River), Geraldton, Toodyay, and Hyden and damaging gusts at many other centres including Esperance and Kalgoorlie. Instead of weakening inland as is usual for springtime fronts, it produced an 111km/h gust at Norseman. The SES responded to 223 calls for assistance in Perth and power outages were widespread.

31 Oct-1 Nov 2002

Suspected tornadoes overnight caused damage in Mt Pleasant where one house completely lost its roof and in the Thornlie-Huntingdale area.

10 November 2002

Hail caused localised severe damage to crops near Wyalkatchem and Wongan Hills. Strong winds caused minor property damage.

15 November 2002

Several properties in Merredin including the primary school had significant roof damage and a light aircraft was flipped over at the aerodrome. Two men were injured when a steel shed in which they were sheltering was ripped open and blown 20m away. Southern Cross recorded wind gusts to 107km/h. A tornado cut a swathe of damage 200m wide for 6km in bushland near Salmon Gums.

21 November 2002

A severe thunderstorm caused hail to golf-ball size inland from Lancelin, north of Perth during the late afternoon.

22 November 2002

Severe thunderstorms caused 2 to 4cm hail (largest golf-ball size) and heavy rainfall in the Pingelly region of the Great Southern. At Meekatharra, several houses sustained roof damage. At Kununurra wind gusts, measured to 102km/h, flipped over a plane causing minor structural damage.

5 December 2002

Storms unroofed a property in Moora and caused crop damage from heavy rain and hail. Several properties in Carnamah sustained damage.

6 December 2002

At Merredin hail, reportedly larger than golf-ball size, dented cars, blocked gutters causing water damage in houses and destroying ready to harvest crops. Duststorms were widespread in the central and eastern wheatbelt. At Borden heavy rain (49mm) flooded several buildings including the hotel.

22 December 2002

Severe thunderstorms occurred through the Lower West district including Perth.  Hail was reported through the eastern suburbs.

26 December 2002

At Wongan Hills a nine-year-old girl was killed when a downburst destroyed the northern side of a house and tore off the verandah and roof at 4pm. Miraculously other family members escaped serious injury. Other properties suffered damage from winds and heavy rain near Koorda and Bencubbin.

27 December 2002

Severe storms occurred across a wide area of the eastern wheatbelt and Goldfields. Near Lake Grace strong winds, egg-sized hail and flash flooding caused property and vegetation damage. Laverton recorded a wind gust of 119 km/h at 6pm, and Norseman recorded 71mm. Golf ball-sized hail occurred northeast of Albany.

28 December 2002

A severe storm produced several tornadoes north of Munglinup. One heavy farm machine was lifted 4m and tipped on its side.

23 January 2003

Severe storms caused strong winds gusts measured to 137 km/h at Kalgoorlie and 109 km/h at Esperance. Only minor damage was reported.

16-17 Feb 2003

Heavy rain was widespread across southern WA (Cuttening (Kellerberrin) 95mm and Bridgetown 91mm). The SES responded to 49 calls for flood-related assistance in Rockingham. Storms at GinGin brought down power lines and damaged a service station on the 16th. On the 17th hail to golf-ball size smashed windows and dented vehicles from Mt Barker to Jerramungup. A hailstorm lasting just five minutes caused considerable damage to the Tarmoola Gold Mine, near Leonora at 6:30am on the 17th injuring two mine workers.

24 February 2003

A thunderstorm produced a gust of 128 kilometres per hour (69 knots) at Mardie at 9:20pm.

8 March 2003

Severe storms caused damage at Armadale, Wanneroo and GinGin in the mid afternoon. Strong winds unroofed one property in Armadale road and a resident recorded 58mm of rain in just 20 minutes.

21 March 2003

Lightning strikes caused power outages across the metropolitan area affecting 15000 properties. Lightning also started several bushfires.

28-30 March 2003

Storms caused power outages to 70000 Perth homes at its peak Karragullen registered 40mm in 45 minutes and Perth Airport recorded 29mm in 30 minutes on the 30th. One woman was killed in a traffic crash at an intersection where the traffic lights were out. Storms caused heavy rain near Mt Barker (64mm in half an hour) and hail at Narembeen (averaging 2cm but measured to 5cm).

10 April 2003

A storm in Perth at 9:30am required the SES responding to 30 flood-related callouts mainly in the Leederville and West Perth area. Other storms caused 20mm in 20 minutes at GinGin and totals to 58mm at Chittering Heights and 50mm at Wyalkatchem.

11-12 April 2003

An early-season deep low caused damaging wind gusts measured to 111km/h at Cape Leeuwin 105km/h in Perth and 96km/h in Esperance. The SES received about 60 callouts. Karnet recorded a cumulative fall of 75mm.

16 May 2003

A low passed near Cape Naturaliste at 7am where the pressure fell to 982hPa, one of the lowest pressures ever recorded in southern WA. The storm surge (Bunbury 1.0m and Fremantle 0.8m) occurred close to the time of high tide causing one of the highest tides ever recorded at Fremantle, about 0.5m above the highest astronomical tide. The resulting flooding in low-lying parts caused widespread beach erosion, disrupted traffic and undermined the foundation of a canal property near Mandurah. Wind damage (Rottnest Island 117km/h) was general, although mostly minor.

24-25 June 2003

Heavy rain, recorded to 97mm at Boyanup, caused flooding in the Bunbury district. The SES responded to about 15 callouts for water inundation in houses at Bunbury where 48mm fell between 9 and 10pm.

27 June 2003

A suspected tornado at 4:40am damaged selected properties through Scarborough to Osborne Park. Other damage occurred at Mandurah at 6:45am (111 km/h recorded) with minor damage occurring throughout the afternoon. The SES received over 50 requests for assistance.

29 June 2003

A weak tornado caused localised damage at various points along a two kilometre track through Wembley and Mt Hawthorn just before 1pm.