A swell of more than seven meters has hit Western Australia’s south coast as the third cold front in as many days swept across the region.
Key points:
- A series of cold fronts generated strong winds, thunderstorms and rain across the state’s south
- Daredevils visited the popular Albany tourist location, The Gap, to get a glimpse of large surf
- A severe weather warning remains for damaging surf from Dongara to Albany
The seven to 10 meter swell had previously been forecast to hit the south and west coasts of WA, with authorities issuing a warning for gale force winds and dangerous surf.
The wet and wild weather did not deter people from catching a glimpse of the swell, which surpassed seven meters at 2pm.
Sightseers flocked to The Gap near Albany, a popular tourist spot with a 40-meter high platform suspended above the cliff.
A severe weather warning remains current for damaging surf from Dongara to Albany.
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A wind like more than 80 kilometers per hour was recorded at Albany airport as thunderstorms and rain moved east.
It followed a stormy few days in southern WA with winds causing damage from Geraldton to Albany.
The Bureau of Meteorology said conditions should ease late Wednesday into Thursday.
“Damaging winds are covering a larger area than we would normally see with these winter systems, [and] extending across a large part of the southern half of the state,” a spokesperson said.
“Gusts in excess of 90kph are possible over the warning area with gusts in excess of 100kph about the west coast, south of Perth, until late Wednesday afternoon.
“Rainfall totals expected until the end of Wednesday are expected to be around 15-25 millimetres near the coast between Lancelin and Albany, with isolated higher totals to 40mm.”
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