Some of South Fremantle’s most popular bars and cafes have been forced to close this weekend after a rogue bolt of lightning destroyed a nearby power pole.
** MUST CREDIT WA INCIDENT ALERTS ** Power line after being struck by lightning on South Terrace, Fremantle. Posted Saturday afternoon WA Incident Alerts Credit: WA Incident Alerts/WA Incident Alerts
At around 1pm on Saturday, during another one of Perth’s latest storms, lightning struck a transmission pole in front of Running With Thieves on South Terrace.
Your local paper, whenever you want it.
The bolt split the high voltage pole and spread debris across the road and footpath as well as causing some lines to drop- exposing motorists and pedestrians to dangerous electrical currents.
Western Power has been working to resolve the incident since yesterday afternoon, blocking off the road to oncoming traffic, but the location of the pole has caused some issues for the electrical company.
“The pole is right near water and gas pipes so it’s important that they take care not to damage any of those pipes while fixing the pole,” a Western Power spokesperson said.
Many local cafes and bars closed once the power went out, and despite the weather bringing crowds of people out to enjoy the sunshine – they were forced to keep their doors shut.
La Cabana was forced to close due to the power outage. Credit: Indigo Lemay-Conway/The West Australian
La Cabana took to Instagram to tell their loyal customers the bad news Sunday morning.
“Unfortunately we’ve had to make the call to keep our doors closed today!” the post read.
“Yesterday a power pole a few doors down was struck by lightning and the end of South Terrace has been without power ever since!
“A freak incident and one that’s been totally out of our hands. We appreciate your understanding and apologies to everyone that planned to come down last night or today!”
A sign on the door of Madalenas Bar on Sunday. Credit: Indigo Lemay-Conway/The West Australian
Madalena’s Bar also made a similar post on Instagram.
“Closed today, no power in South Fremantle. See you next week!”
But despite the lightning strike happening directly outside of their venue, Running With Thieves remained open, so those craving an alcoholic beverage at the southern end of South Fremantle were still able to quench their thirst.
Western Power was unable to give an estimated restoration time for when the power will be turned back on, but have said their customer service team will keep the 290 affected customers up to date throughout the process.
Forecasters have warned of possible renewed flooding of rivers in central inland NSW and issued a warning for sheep graziers that new lambs are at risk of freezing this weekend.
A flood watch is in place for multiple catchments including the Namoi, Macquarie, Bogan, Lachlan, Murrumbidgee, Murray, Mirrool Creek, Culgoa, Narran and Darling areas on Friday.
Forecasters believe there is a particular risk of major flooding of the Macquarie River at Warren, northwest of Dubbo, Jordan Otara from the Bureau of Meteorology told AAP on Friday.
Mr Otara said while showers across central NSW had not been torrential, recent heavy falls in some catchments, coupled with dam releases, had led to river heights staying high.
“As much as the flood peaks have necessarily gone through the river system in many areas, it’s the renewed flooding – so floodwaters are not necessarily going down below the minor flood level,” the senior meteorologist said.
“Basically we’re seeing those peaks essentially being long lived due to dam releases and other factors that come into play for how the river levels are reacting.
“It’s slow moving (rainfall), associated with water already on the ground, so more of a sustained flooding event.”
The Namoi and the northern end of the Gwydir River were also expected to receive substantial falls and moderate flooding was expected on Friday, Mr Otara said.
The Lachlan and Murrumbidgee rivers also had the potential to flood, but Mr Otara said the risk had lessened as rainfall totals did not reach forecast highs on Thursday.
A warning has also been issued to sheep graziers to look out for baby lambs, as a mixture of plunging temperatures, showers and westerly winds are expected on Saturday in the Tablelands and Snowy Mountains districts.
“When new lambs are born, and they are exposed to those conditions, there is a heightened risk that (they) cannot live through these sort of temperatures due to the wind-chill factor,” Mr Otara said.
The weather bureau was continuing to monitor the lamb risk, which was currently confined to southern NSW.
The bureau routinely issues warnings related to lambs across late winter and spring.
Stunning photos of snow falling near Bluff Knoll have emerged after the Stirling Range was treated to a light dusting on Tuesday.
Several hikers braved freezing cold conditions to see the snow up close as it fell near one of WA’s highest peaks.
Photos posted to social media show hikers giving the thumbs up to their mates as a steady stream of snow falls around them.
Other photos show large amounts of snow covering the ground and earth of Bluff Knoll, as a thick fog lingers nearby.
Snow falls in Stirling Range National Park and Bluff Knoll as a cold snap hits Western Australia. Credit: Frederick Schafsma/Frederick Schafsma
The Bureau of Meteorology had predicted snow would fall in the Great Southern after a cold front moved across Perth and South West on Monday and Tuesday morning.
Cool air behind the cold front meant the upper-level air temperatures were also very low, which created almost ideal conditions for a light amount of snowfall to reach the Bluff Knoll peak.
Snow was recorded at least five times last year in the Stirling Range, equaling a record set 53 years ago.
The State’s record top of six snow flurries in one 12-month period came in 2016, with all recorded at Bluff Knoll.
The Bureau of Meteorology relies on hikers to confirm snowfall at Bluff Knoll, which is the highest peak in southern WA at 1,099 meters, because there’s no observation equipment there.
The snowfall came on what was also Perth’s coldest day of the year so far.
The city reached a top of 12.4C just before 4pm on Tuesday.
The chilly conditions come during one of the metropolitan area’s wettest ever starts to August.
Already the city has recorded 110mm of rain for the month so far, which is just shy of the monthly average of 122mm.
Last August only 56mm of rain was recorded.
Snow falls in Stirling Range National Park and Bluff Knoll as a cold snap hits Western Australia A toupee of fog, rolling over the mountain top. Credit: Anton Willk/Anton Willk
Perth can expect some sunshine over the next two days before the rain returns yet again over the weekend, and it looks set to continue into early next week.
Perth shivered through a cold snap on Tuesday as the city experienced its coldest day of the year so far.
It reached a top of just 12.4 degrees just before 4pm on Tuesday, blanketing Perth suburbs in an icy blast as the lowest temperature reached 9 degrees.
There has been 10.6mm of rain since 9am with Jandakot receiving the most at 40mm, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
Perth has already had close to 121mm for the month of August in just nine days and should be on track to bet the monthly average of 122mm.
There is a 50 per cent chance of rain up until 8pm tonight with showers decreasing by 11pm.
Hikers in the State’s Great Southern witnessed snow fall atop Bluff Knoll, WA’s highest peak, in the Stirling Range National Park.
The short snow flurry dusted Bluff Knoll in white as hikers made the trek up the 1090m peak.
It was caused by a cold front that moved across Perth and the State’s south on Monday and Tuesday creating ideal conditions for a light amount of snow to fall on Tuesday morning.
Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Jessica Lingard told Perth Now on Monday that a “light dusting” of snowfall was expected in the region.
“We’ve got this cold front moving through today (Monday) and basically the cold front is aligned between two different air masses where you get warmer air in front of it and cold air behind it,” Ms Lingard said.
“I don’t think anybody is going to be building snowmen or skiing, but it will be a very light dusting.”
Snow was recorded at least five times last year in the Stirling Ranges, equaling a record set 53 years ago.
LOST CREEK, Ky. (AP) — President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden on Monday witnessed the damage from deadly and devastating storms that have resulted in the worst flooding in Kentucky’s history, as they visited the state to meet with families and first responders.
At least 37 people have died since last month’s deluge, which dropped 8 to 10-1/2 inches of rain in only 48 hours. Gov. Andy Beshear told Biden that authorities expect to add at least one other death to the total. The National Weather Service said Sunday that flooding remains a threatwarning of more thunderstorms through Thursday.
The president said the nation has an obligation to help all its people, declaring the federal government would provide support until residents were back on their feet. Behind him as he spoke was a single-story house that the storm had dislodged and then left littered on the ground, tilted sideways.
“We have the capacity to do this — it’s not like it’s beyond our control,” Biden said. “We’re staying until everybody’s back to where they were.”
In the summer heat and humidity, Biden’s button-down shirt was covered in sweat. Pacing with a microphone in his hand, he eschewed formal remarks as he pledged to return once the community was rebuilt.
“The bad news for you is I’m coming back, because I want to see it,” the president said.
The Bidens were greeted warmly by Beshear and his wife, Britainy, when they arrived in eastern Kentucky. They immediately drove to see devastation from the storms in Breathitt County, stopping at the site of where a school bus, carried by floodwaters, was crashed into a partially collapsed building.
Beshear said the flooding was “unlike anything we’ve ever seen” in the state and credited Biden with swiftly approving federal assistance.
He praised responders who “have moved heaven and earth to get where we are, what, about nine days from when this hit,” he said.
Attending a briefing on the flooding’s impact with first responders and recovery specialists at Marie Roberts Elementary School in Lost Creek, Biden told a delegation of Kentucky leaders that he would do whatever was necessary to help.
“I promise you, if it’s legal, we’ll do it,” he said. “And if it’s not legal, we’ll figure out how to change the law.”
The president emphasized that politics have no place in disaster response, noting his frequent political battles with Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. “We battle all the times on issues,” Biden said, but in helping Kentuckians rebuild, “we’re all one team.”
Monday’s trip is Biden’s second to the state since taking office last year. I have previously visited in December after tornadoes whipped through Kentucky, killing 77 people and leaving a trail of destruction.
“I wish I could tell you why we keep getting hit here in Kentucky,” Beshear said recently. “I wish I could tell you why areas where people may not have much continue to get hit and lose everything. I can’t give you the why, but I know what we do in response to it. And the answer is everything we can. These are our people. Let’s make sure we help them out.”
Biden has expanded federal disaster assistance to Kentucky, ensuring the federal government will cover the full cost of debris removal and other emergency measures.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the Federal Emergency Management Agency has provided more than $3.1 million in relief funds, and hundreds of rescue personnel have been deployed to help.
“The floods in Kentucky and extreme weather all around the country are yet another reminder of the intensifying and accelerating impacts of climate change and the urgent need to invest in making our communities more resilient to it,” she said.
The flooding came just one month after Kentucky’s governor visited Mayfield to celebrate the completion of the first houses to be fully constructed since a tornado nearly wiped out the town. Three families were handed keys to their new homes that day, and the governor in his remarks heard him back to a visit he had made in the immediate aftermath.
Now more disasters are testing the state. Beshear has been to eastern Kentucky as many times as weather permitted since the flooding began. He’s had daily news conferences that stretched to an hour in order to provide details and a full range of assistance for victims.
A Democrat, Beshear narrowly defeated a Republican incumbent in 2019, and he’s seeking a second term in 2023.
Polling has shown him consistently with strong approval ratings from Kentuckians. But several prominent Republicans have entered the governor’s race, taking turns pounding the governor for his aggressive pandemic response and trying to tie him to Biden and rising inflation.
Beshear comments frequently about the toll surging inflation is taking in eating at Kentuckians’ budgets. He has avoided blaming the president, instead pointing to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and supply chain bottlenecks as contributors to rising consumer costs.
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Schreiner reported from Frankfort, Kentucky and Megerian reported from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
Homeowners trying to get storm-damaged properties repaired face massive waits as tradies are nearly impossible to hire.
The well-documented skills and supply shortages blighting the State have left people hoping to fix their houses wondering where to turn.
One roofing company said it had been inundated with 60 phone calls a day last week, while another said it was already booked out until next year.
The savage storms knocked out power to Perth Airport as well as 35,000 homes and wreaked havoc across Perth and the south-west last week, leaving a trail of damaged properties in their wake.
It’s not just homes that are affected. Canning Mosque in Queens Park was severely damaged during the storm when a large tree was uprooted and smashed into the prayer hall.
One of the walls was knocked down, part of the roof collapsed, structural beams were wrecked and flooding destroyed the interior.
Mosque president Bekir Serin said the damages were still being assessed by the insurance company, however, it was possible the Mosque would need to be demolished.
Amid the traditional shortages, and soaring labor and material costs, Mr Serin said the prospect of rebuilding was a big concern.
“It will be a serious challenge if we need to rebuild the Mosque. It won’t be cheap and it could take a long time,” he said.
The total cost of damages is still unknown, but a Go Fund Me has been set up to raise $1.5 million to aid construction.
A ceiling collapsed inside a Joondalup house. Credit: 7NEWS/Supplied
There are warnings from within the construction industry about the prospect of cowboys swooping on desperate homeowners.
Chaley Kelly, from roof leak repair business Roofology, said in the past week she had been forced to turn away a lot of prospective clients, many of them elderly, because her company was already booked out until January.
Before closing its appointment book last month, the waiting list had grown to as many as 200 customers.
Mrs Kelly said she had noticed a troubling growth in the numbers of cowboy tradesmen operating.
She urged people to ask how long a company had been in business, and request a written quote outlining the scope of work, with photos taken before and after the repairs.
Storm damage on Discovery Crescent, Port Kennedy. Credit: Ian Munro/The West Australian
“We’ve seen some horror stories, so it’s important to ask some basic questions,” she said.
Shannon Hartfield, the general manager of Buss Roof Plumbing, aided the storms had sent his phone running off the hook, with about 60 calls a day.
Mr Hartfield said it had exposed the extent of shoddy workmanship on some newly built homes, with an astonishing 25 per cent of all storm damage-related repair work this week done on homes built in the past 12 to 18 months.
He said some of the basic errors included incorrectly installed gutters.
“Essentially, there are no falls on gutters — the gutters are falling the wrong way,” he said. “We are noticing gutters are being installed going up, rather than going down.”
He blamed increasingly rushed training, claiming some apprentices were being signed off before they were fully competent as the industry struggled to find enough workers.
A roof detached from a home on James Street. Credit: WA Incident Reports/Supplied
Jazz Monroe said her Ashby roofing contractor Upon The Roof was booked out for a month even before inquiries jumped by 100 per cent last week.
She said the delays caused by excess demand had been exacerbated by ongoing supply chain issues, including delays of up to eight weeks for gutters.
For the Johns Lyng Group — an emergency response builder contracted by insurance giant RAC — last week’s damage adds to a heavy workload which still includes some repairs from last year’s Cyclone Seroja in the Geraldton region.
General manager Daryl Carmody said the average weekly calls his company dealt with rocketed from around 300 to around 1000 after the storm, and he expected the volume to continue this week as people took stock of the damage.
SES workers in Port Kennedy. Credit: Ian Munro/The West Australian
He said all urgent repair jobs had already been given a temporary Band-Aid fix to stem further leaking or problems. But it would take months to properly repair some of the more serious damage, like collapsed ceilings.
RAC has lodged more than over 4,800 storm claims at a cost of $8.7 million, with the bill set to increase this week.
“We see this type of storm damage two to three times a year,” Mr Carmody said.
RAC home claims manager Glen Walker said the storm damage would also create additional demand for ceiling fixers, plasterers, painters and electricians.
A wintry mix of hail, blustery thunderstorms and even snow flurries is on the cards for Western Australia, as the south-west corner of the state, including Perth, braces for what could be its coldest day of the year so far.
Key points:
Temperatures are expected to plummet in WA’s South West on Tuesday
The weather system could also bring strong winds and hail to parts of WA
Bluff Knoll in the Stirling Ranges could get a dusting of snow
A gusty cold front reached Perth just before midday on Monday, and is set to sweep over the remainder of the South West Land Division, reaching Geraldton to Hopetoun this evening.
While this event is not likely to be as strong or prolonged as the system that hit WA last week, causing record wind gusts in some places, it is still expected to pack a punch.
Cape Leeuwin and Ocean Reef have already recorded wind gusts nearing 90 kilometers per hour.
Trees and power lines were brought down by a storm that hit Perth last week.(Supplied: Rowan Newton)
Hail could impact large swathe of state
Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Caroline Crow said the initial cold front would be followed by a pool of cold air on Tuesday, which would send maximum temperatures plummeting and bring hail to a large area of the state.
David Zander from Parmelia said it hailed at their house last Tuesday morning.(Supplied)
“Coming into tomorrow there will be potential hail though the South West Land Division from about Jurien Bay to Lake Grace to Esperance,” she said.
“Broadly speaking, it’s the coldest outbreak for the south-west of the state that we’re looking at for this season so far, given the region of hail potential which is quite far inland.”
SES officers were kept busy with calls for help from residents across Perth last Tuesday and Wednesday.(ABC News: Nic Perpitch)
She said maximum temperatures would generally be between two and six degrees Celsius lower than average on Tuesday, with temperatures in the Great Southern region struggling to reach the low teens.
“The Great Southern and south coastal district is looking at temperatures around 10C to 12C,” she said.
“And from Bunbury into inland parts of the South West Land Division, all the way to the south-east coastal district around that 12C mark.”
Perth is also forecast for cooler-than-normal weather, with a maximum of 15C expected in the city and 14C in Mandurah.
The coldest day of the year so far in Perth was on July 17, when the temperature peaked at 14.2C.
In Katanning, the coldest day was on July 30 when the mercury reached just 11.1C, Mount Barker’s chilliest day was on August 3 (11C) and Bunbury’s coldest day was on July 30 (13.9C).
The weather is not expected to get as wild as it did last week, when a tree branch pierced the roof of this Mt Helena home.(ABC News: Nic Perpitch)
Bluff Knoll could get more snow
Ms Crow said the cold blast could mean snow on Bluff Knoll, in the Stirling Ranges, for the second time in a fortnight.
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“It might get cold enough tomorrow to see a little bit of snow up Bluff Knoll, early in the morning around 4am to 5am through until midday,” she said.
“It’s more likely to be flurries rather than really settling on Bluff Knoll.”
One weather app, Windy, has even forecast the chance of light snow on the Perth Hills early on Tuesday. However Ms Crow said that was unlikely.
“The darling scarp doesn’t have a freezing level low enough or cold enough to get a dusting of snow like Bluff Knoll,” she said.
‘Unseasonal’ rain for northern parts of WA
It’s not just the south of the state expecting a wintry blast.
Ms Crow said a band of cloud was starting to thicken up over western Pilbara and central WA, which would likely bring showers by mid-week.
“Come tomorrow, we will start seeing the potential for showers and patchy rain out of it,” she said.
“And then coming into Wednesday the eastern parts of the Pilbara and into the interior could get falls of 10 millimetres, with isolated showers up to 20mm.”
Ms Crow said the showers were unusual for this time of year, with the north of the state currently in the middle of its dry season.
She said there would also be cool temperatures for the region.
“It looks like underneath that cloud, band temperatures could be four to eight degrees below average,” she said.
Miserable weather forecast for Perth
Tuesday: Min 7C, Max 15C, Very high chance of rain
Wednesday: Min 7C, Max 18C, High chance of rain near the coast
Thursday: Min 5C, Max 18C, Partly cloudy
Friday: Min 7C, Max 20C, Mostly sunny
Saturday: Min 11C, Max 20C, Very high chance of rain
Sunday: Min 11C, Max 21C, Very high chance of rain
For those who love the cold and have never seen snow before, Tuesday might just be your chance.
A cold front that will move across Perth and South West on Monday and Tuesday will create almost the perfect conditions for a light amount of snow to fall in the Stirling Ranges and on the top of Bluff Knoll on Tuesday morning.
Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Jessica Lingard said a “light dusting” of snowfall was expected in the region.
“We’ve got this cold front moving through today (Monday) and basically the cold front is aligned between two different air masses where you get warmer air in front of it and cold air behind it,” Ms Lingard said.
“The cold air behind today’s cold front is particularly cold and that means the upper-level air temperatures are very low.
“We need that level to be low enough so that when the snow falls out of the cloud it is not melting before it reaches the ground.
“Tomorrow morning, that situation comes about and conditions are looking good for a little bit of snow.
“I don’t think anybody is going to be building snowmen or skiing, but it will be a very light dusting.”
Snow was recorded at least five times last year in the Stirling Ranges, equaling a record set 53 years ago.
Snow at Bluff Knoll in 2019. David Readhead @davis_redman8 Credit: David Readhead
As for Perth, the city can expect to cop further heavy rainfall over the coming days.
Up to 15mm of rain is expected across the metropolitan area on Monday with a further 20mm tipped to fall on Tuesday.
The average amount of rainfall for Perth in August is 122mm. The city has already recorded 84mm.
“Considering we are only eight days in it wouldn’t surprise me if we got close or exceeded that average (over the next few days),” Ms Lingard said.
A young California bank executive has been identified as the third person killed in a freak caught-on-camera lightning strike near the White House last week.
Brooks Lambertson, a 29-year-old Los Angeles-based vice president at City National Bank, was identified by DC police as the third fatality from Thursday night’s strike that also left a fourth person in critical condition.
He was killed alongside James Mueller, 76, and Donna Mueller, 75, childhood sweethearts from Wisconsin who were in the capital celebrating their 56th wedding anniversary.
All four had been in Lafayette Park — yards from the White House fence — when cameras caught a huge bolt striking a tree they were near.
City National Bank said Sunday that it was “devastated to learn of the sudden death of one of our colleagues.”
“Brooks was an incredible young man who will be remembered for his generosity, kindness and unwavering positivity,” the bank said.
“Our thoughts and condolences are with his loving family, his many friends and our colleagues. His joyful spirit will live on in our hearts, ”the bank said.
Brooks Lambertson, a 29-year-old bank executive from Los Angeles, was identified as the third person killing in a lightning strike near the White House last week.Facebook/KCRAThe lightning strike at Lafayette Park killed three people and left one other injured.REUTERS
The news sparked tributes for Lambertson, who previously worked as a marketing manager for the LA Clippers and was in DC for business when he was struck.
“He was a joy to work with and a wonderful colleague!” one shocked staffer said, while another wrote about how they “loved working with him.”
Brooks always lit up the room with his million-dollar smile,” that colleague wrote, while another praised his “generosity” and “kindness and unwavering” positive energy.
The fourth person, an unidentified woman, was listed in critical condition on Friday, the police department said. There was no immediate update early Sunday.
Lambertson was in DC on a business trip.@dcfireems via APWisconsin couple James Mueller, 76, and Donna Mueller, 75, were also killed in the lightning strike.Facebook/WISN 12 NEWS
Secret Service officers had been among the first to respond to the tragedy and offer first aid, officials announced last week.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the administration was “saddened by the tragic loss of life.”
“This is the people’s house. It should be a place all can see,” she said.
ORLANDO, Fla. – The National Hurricane Center is watching a tropical wave for possible development after weeks of silence in the Atlantic.
The wave is located off the west coast of Africa and is producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms over the far eastern tropical Atlantic, according to the NHC.
“Environmental conditions appear generally conducive for gradual development of this system while it moves westward to west-northwestward at 15 to 20 mph across the eastern and central tropical Atlantic, and a tropical depression could form around the middle part of this week.”
The area has a 40% chance of development over the next five days and could potentially become a tropical depression by mid-week.
“If it were to become anything, this would be Danielle,” FOX 35 Storm Team Meteorologist Ian Cassette said.
There has been no major hurricane to form this season, just three tropical storms: Alex, Bonnie, and Colin, and even though this is less active than past seasons, it is on schedule for an average season.
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We are now moving closer to the peak of hurricane season, which is Sept. 10, and roughly 90% of tropical activity occurs after Aug. 1. Therefore, both NOAA and Colorado State remain confident in their predictions.
The experts at Colorado State University and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released their updated 2022 Atlantic hurricane season outlooks Thursday. Both organizations decreased the forecast number of named storms from what they initially predicted in earlier outlooks, but they say you should still prepare for an active season.
CSU is still expecting an above-average season with 18 named storms, eight of which could become hurricanes with winds of at least 74 mph. Experts say out of the hurricanes, four of them could be major (Category 3 or higher) with winds of at least 115 mph.
NOAA expects a similar outcome to the Atlantic hurricane season, predicting 14 to 20 named storms, six to 10 hurricanes and three to five major hurricanes, which is a slight decrease from its initial outlook in May.
Make sure you have the FOX 35 Storm Team App downloaded and ready to receive daily forecasts and to be the first to know when severe weather is coming to your area.
