Australia Weather News

Access to the historical town of Gwalia, Western Australia was restricted for several hours on Friday night after a sudden and localised storm ripped through, downing powerlines. 

A Bureau of Meteorology spokesperson said the weather event was likely a microburst storm, which formed on a trough through the area, more than 800km north-east of Perth.

The spokesperson said microbursts were common for this time of year. 

A microburst is a sudden, localised column of sinking air that can produce damaging winds.

A similar storm swept through the Perth Hills on Thursday, tearing roofs off houses and leaving thousands of homes without power.

The closest wind observations were in Leonora, 4 kilometres away, and recorded gusts of up to 85 kilometres per hour. 

Destructive winds

Shire of Leonora chief executive Ty Matson said the damage looked like a tornado had ripped through the town.

He said the nearby town of Leonora had "dodged a bullet" compared to the destructive nature of the winds in Gwalia.

"Speaking to local mines, the winds were powerful enough to move around sea containers," he said.

"Some buildings are fine, [but at] the next door neighbour's house the roof has been ripped off."

Mr Matson said the storm damage meant powerlines were down, and at least two houses had their roofs ripped off. 

He said the Hoover House museum would likely remain closed for the week while it underwent repairs. 

Gwalia resident Vanessa Williams said the storm seemed to only last 15 minutes. 

"I could see sheets of tin coming off one of the old buildings over the road, landing in a tree," she said. 

"It was really short lived, but by the time it left the amount of damage was pretty insane."

Repairing 'much-loved' historical town

Gwalia is a former gold mining town, which at its peak was home to 1,200 residents. 

The closure of the Sons of Gwalia mine in 1963 left the town almost deserted, but a few residents still remain today.

The town is also home to Hoover House, designed in 1897 by the mine's manager Herbert Hoover, who went on to become the 31st president of the United States. 

Mr Matson said the town was a much-loved attraction for locals and tourists alike. 

He said the storm provided the opportunity for the Leonora shire to rebuild the town "bigger and better".

"It's such an important asset out there so we will make sure that gets rebuilt," he said.

Ms Williams, who grew up in the town and is a long-term resident, said 11 of the houses were still used.

However, she said she was worried some of the houses privately owned by mining companies would never get rebuilt.

"That's probably everyone's fear out here, because these old houses are treasures," she said.

"There's a lot of heritage out here and a lot of family history."