Western Power asset operations executive manager Zane Christmas told Radio 6PR some of the worst affected areas were around York, Gidgegannup, and Toodyay.
“They all bore the brunt of that storm, but we also had two fires last night, as well as the fire a couple of days ago in Gingin, that we’re still working to respond to,” he said.
Lightning hits near Brigadoon.Credit: Facebook
“We’ve got helicopters flying, trying to assess damage, so it’s going to be a busy couple of days for us.”
The utility asked those affected to remain patient, warning damage to the network was extensive, and it still had a backlog of repair work from bushfires and storms last week.
On Tuesday, Great Eastern Highway flooded, trees fell close to homes and through roofs – in one instance taking out two bedrooms.
Homeowner Rick Darlow told Nine News Perth he had been more worried about fires on Tuesday, before the unexpected storm.
“We’re just lucky that no one was here,” he said.
Loading
“I was more worried about fire this afternoon when I was coming back up the hill, not thinking that this would happen. The end bedrooms are pretty well snookered.”
Mundaring Child Care Centre was evacuated after trees fell through the roof.
Childcare worker Gzahala Arshad said the children had been scared.
“Almost half of the room was flooded. The staff have to start cleaning and taking the water out,” she said.
The storm hit after some suburbs reached 43 degrees, with winds reaching up to 100 kilometres per hour.
Lightning strikes also sparked spot fires across the city, all of which were brought under control but made for another tough day for firefighters.
On Wednesday temperatures are expected to drop, with a high of 31 degrees around 11am.
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
