SES called out as Busselton storm floods streets

Locals had their kayaks out in the streets on Tuesday morning as rain bucketed down in Busselton and Dunsborough.

The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe weather warning at 8:49am on Tuesday, with a cold front approaching the South West.

It brought a significant amount of moisture and unstable winds ahead of the front, which led to the development of one or two slow moving lines of thunderstorms, bringing heavy rainfall.

The Bureau warned of flash flooding throughout the morning, and plenty of streets saw just that. Social media was inundated with photos showing roads and footpaths completely submerged as stormwater drains struggled to keep up with the downpour.

Official readings at Busselton Airport showed 35.4mm of rain fell on Tuesday. The Bureau also reported 70mm fell in just three hours in the Chapman Hill area. Some locals reported more than 100mm in their backyard gauges closer to the coast.

The severe weather warning was called of at 10:14am, as rain started to ease. The wind kept up though, with gusts of 59kph measured at 1:46pm.

Timbermill Crescent in Broadwarter was one of many streets submerged in Tuesday’s downpour. Picture by Carole Seth.

Busselton SES responded to 14 calls for help, mostly in the Broadwater and West Busselton areas. Residents required assistance with water coming into their garages and homes in some cases.

Showers are expected to continue for at least the next week as another cold front develops off the south coast.

What was the flooding like on your street? Send photos to editorial@busseltonmail.com.au.