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Huge storm batters Australia’s west coast

| Updated: May 25, 2020 11:15:16


Huge storm batters Australia’s west coast

Australia's western coast is being battered by a huge storm, which is heading for the main city of Perth.

Torrential rains, strong winds and waves of up to eight metres (26ft) are forecast in some areas.

The severe weather is the result of the remnants of tropical cyclone Mangga interacting with a cold front, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

A senior official in Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) said it would be a "once-in-a-decade" storm.

"Normally our storms come from the south west and this will come from the north west," DFES acting assistant commissioner Jon Broomhall told journalists.

He added that authorities were "asking people to secure property and make sure everything loose is tied down".

A severe weather warning is in place for much of Western Australia.

More than 30,000 homes and businesses are without power across the state, ABC News reports.

"This is a rare event for WA particularly due to the extent of the area affected and the possibility of multiple areas of dangerous weather," said the Bureau of Meteorology.

Wind gusts of up to 130 km/h (75 mph) are expected along the coast, the Bureau of Meteorology said. Some areas could see up to 10cm of rain.

The weather system will continue into Monday, according to forecasts.

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