Damaging storms have Pilbara residents predicting 'wild' cyclone season

# November rain, hail and strong winds as storms leave trail of destruction in Pilbara There was an impressive lightning show in Newman on Monday night. (Supplied: Darren Field/fieldimages.com.au) ## In short: Homes remain without power in the Pilbara town of Newman after a wild storm overnight. Residents are saying it was the worst storm they have seen in a decade. ## What's next? The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting ongoing, possibly severe, storm activity this week. Residents in a remote West Australian mining town have borne the brunt of what is being described as their wildest storm in more than a decade. Newman, 1,170 kilometres north east of Perth, was battered by strong winds and heavy rain overnight, as a large trough brought unseasonably stormy weather to much of the state. Residents were still cleaning up this morning, while mining giant BHP — which provides the town's power — was working to restore services. "It has been hectic — yesterday afternoon we were hit with some really wicked weather," resident Sammi Ryder said. Ms Ryder has lived in Newman for 10 years and said it was one of the "wickedest and wildest" storms she had seen in the town. "It came out of nowhere really quickly, a lot of rain, hail, the streets were flooded … I could not see in front of me, it was really bad." Newman-based photographer, Darren Field, said the weather had been "quite hectic" the past few days, leading into the storm yesterday afternoon. "It was quite aggressive," he said. "We had massive lightning, a massive downpour in rain, roads were flooded and trees uprooted and stuff like that, trampolines ending up in the other side of town." Loading...While Bureau of Meteorology Figures show 9.8 millimetres of rain fell, Ms Ryder expected parts of the town received significantly more. "My [work] car park was flooded, the drains around town were flowing, I saw kids swimming in the drains, it was full on," she said. Meteorologist Jessica Lingard said Munjina, 200km north of Newman, received more than 50mm of rain. "The nature of thunderstorms is that they can be very hit and miss, quite isolated, and you do need to be directly underneath the thunderstorm to get the heavier falls," she said. Winds of up to 100 kilometres per hour were recorded at Boolgeeda Airport yesterday afternoon. The Bureau of Meteorology recorded 3mm rainfall at Newman Aero yesterday, but locals expect rainfall totals in the town were much higher. (Supplied: Nathan Faulkner) Newman SES responded to five calls for assistance and handed out sandbags. Local manager Connie Reed said due to the ferocious winds, trees ended up on a number of homes and a trampoline finished up on the roof of a neighbour's home. "As I watched from my carport, my vehicles were being pelted by small hailstones," she said. "[There was] a huge bang, and we watched the power pole explode and a white galah came falling down to our front lawn. "The wind was so strong it had blown the bird into the powerlines, by some miracle it was still alive with no evidence of hitting the power. "There were trees on vehicles, fences down, houses and offices flooded due to rising water from intense rain which could not escape through the drains due the amount received in such a short period of time." The SES says multiple trees fell on houses. (Supplied: Darren Field/fieldimages.com.au) Ms Reed said it was important to be prepared and stay informed. "Tie down your trampolines, make sure your trees are trimmed as there are a lot of broken branches around town and there will be more events like this," she said. "Keep up to date on the information, we're in our wet season, check for road information on road that you're travelling." ## Pilbara 'in for a big one this year' As an avid-storm photographer, Darren Field said he was excited for a big wet season to come. "It's getting back to like the old days," he said. "It's so exciting, I just love getting out [in the weather]. "It gives you goosebumps … especially when it's bouncing around you. "Just before the rain comes in you get a change in the atmospheric pressure and you can feel it, and then the sound and the thunder that comes off the lightning is just unreal. "The colours and smells and everything will be green in the next day or so as well."