Australia Weather News

Residents in the historically sweltering West Australian town of Roebourne have awoken to a fresh start to the new year, with a culturally significant river flowing strong after years of dry conditions.  

Known to Ngarluma traditional owners as the Ngurin, the Harding River, about 1,500 kilometres north of Perth in the Pilbara region, was hit with heavy thunderstorms and rainfall overnight.

Karratha received 56 millimetres of rain, while Roebourne recorded 28mm and Port Hedland brought in the new year with 38mm.

On Wednesday, dozens of locals gathered along the bridge at De Grey Street to witness the spectacle. 

Pilbara local Damion Smith said he had not seen the river full in more than three years. 

"It's good to see, all the kids will have heaps of fun," he said. 

"It [the rain] just gives it a good clean now, gives it a good flush out.

"I've seen the water over the bridge a few times, so if we get another storm tonight I reckon there's a high chance it will go over the bridge."

Mr Smith's wife, Beth, said the recent rainfall was symbolic of starting a new year "fresh".

"It's just washing away everything from last year," she said. 

Roebourne is forecast to hit 45 degrees Celsius this weekend, but the recent rainfall has brought a cool breeze and less humidity.  

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) does not have a gauge or record river data for the Harding. 

Department of Fire and Emergency Services Pilbara district officer Shannon Brophy warned about swimming in heavy floodwaters. 

"[Accidents] can happen within an instant," he said. 

"There's been records of people just sitting inside dams and waterways and then metre-high walls [of water] coming in with no notification at all. 

"The overall pattern of the weather is conducive to flash flooding, so be careful on roads and on floodways." 

State Emergency Service volunteers received one call-out overnight, after damaging wind gusts toppled a tree in Dampier.  

"Volunteers have cut out a tree that went across a driveway this morning," Mr Brophy said. 

"It was fortunate they did that because the local was nine months' pregnant, ready to deliver and their partner was overcoming a health concern at the time." 

More 'juicy' thunderstorms likely

About 135 kilometres away, Mundabullangana Station received more than 48mm of rain.

Owner Michael Thompson was bringing in the new year in Perth when he got a text message with the news.

"After reading my text at one o'clock in the morning, I couldn't sleep I was that excited — we've had three years of no summer rain," he said.

"We'd only had 50mm up to June last season so to get 48mm last night, it's just fantastic."

The region could see more thunderstorms on Wednesday afternoon and evening, with an unstable low pressure system heading towards the coast as the sea breeze eases.

"The highest rainfall we saw was at Indee [station] at 77mm," BOM duty forecaster Angela Prasad said. 

"These thunderstorms are fairly juicy and the heavy falls are certainly possible over the next few days.

"Especially across the northern and central part of the Pilbara tonight, but [the storms] could be closer to the coast again tomorrow."