Freak Australia Storm Hits Perth Airport Domestic Terminal

Perth Airport yesterday afternoon advised 17 aircraft were waiting to be allocated into bays at the domestic terminal, with airline staff unable to service the planes due to safety concerns.

It is understood Virgin had grounded all flights out of Perth since yesterday morning.

Perth Glory's match against Sydney FC in Campbelltown tonight has been postponed after the team's flight was also cancelled because of the weather.

Glory was scheduled to fly yesterday, but thunderstorms across the city meant the club's arranged flight could not get off the ground.

Stranded commuters took to Twitter to vent their frustration, with reports of planes stuck on the tarmac waiting to be moved.

"'In my 30 years of flying experience I've never before seen chaos like this,' said the captain whilst waiting on the tarmac at Perth Airport!" tweeted Timcorr.

"Nothing in or out of #perth airport as the storm gets worse," added MattyTrent.

Passengers said food vouchers were being handed out to help compensate for the delays.

Homes without power, traffic chaos

More than 12,000 homes across the state have experienced power outages as a result of yesterday's storm, with Perth's southern suburbs the hardest hit.

A Western power spokeswoman said 4,800 homes lost power in Forrestfield after power lines at a railway freight yard near Dundas Rd were brought down.

About 2000 homes in Kardinya were affected after a nearby power fault, while a lightning strike in nearby Murdoch cut power to 1,660 properties.

By late afternoon, Western Power crews had restored electricity to more than 7,000 homes across WA.

4500 homes remained without power as of 4pm (WST) yesterday, with most in Murdoch after a lightning strike affected several powerlines on Murdoch Dr.

About 1000 homes in isolated pockets of the Wheatbelt region remain without power.

Regional areas also bore the brunt of the storm, with about 1500 properties losing power in an wide-ranging area from Bunbury to Jurien Bay.

Quairading was the hardest rural area hit, with 725 homes losing power when a lightning strike caused a bushfire in the area.

Main Roads reported several traffic light outages across Perth as the storm affected power supply to a number of areas.

Intersections with traffic lights down as of mid-afternoon included:
- South St and Gilbertson Rd, Kardinya
- Farrington Rd and North Lake Rd, North Lake
- Roe Hwy and Berkshire Rd, Forrestfield
- Mirrabooka Ave and Marangaroo Dr, Girrawheen.

Emergency roadworks were also affecting traffic flow on Thomas St northbound, near Railway Pde and Loftus St in West Perth, with traffic building up in the area this afternoon.

Motorists were urged to exercise caution in affected areas.

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