Particle.news
Download on the App Store
6 ARTICLES
·
2mo ago

Bunbury Lashed by Destructive Winds as BOM Probes Tornado or Microburst

Forecasters are assessing whether the Bunbury damage came from a tornado or a microburst.

A property in Bunbury sustained major damage for the extreme weather conditions.
Image
The warning was issued on Monday afternoon with towns including Bunbury, Busselton, Margaret River, Augusta, Dunsborough and Walpole.
Image

Overview

  • Bunbury, which was hit Monday night, saw roofs torn off, trees brought down and power cut, leaving about 170 properties without electricity by Tuesday morning.
  • BOM confirmed peak gusts of 124 km/h at Busselton Jetty just before 2am Tuesday, with other South West sites recording severe winds.
  • The weather bureau says there is not yet enough evidence to confirm a tornado in Bunbury and has begun a review of radar data and damage reports.
  • A tornado leaves a track of rotating damage, while a microburst unleashes a powerful straight‑down draft that fans out in one direction, so investigators are checking for those patterns on the ground.
  • Clean‑up is underway and DFES is urging people to avoid fallen power lines and loose debris, with another cold front forecast for late Wednesday into Thursday.