Australia Weather News

Western Australia's South West is bracing for flooding as rivers continue to swell following record rainfall in the state, with storms claiming two lives on the weekend.

Although the region was largely spared when Perth and the state's south-east were drenched with heavy rains last week, water is now flowing downstream, sparking flood concerns.

The Blackwood River near Boyup Brook is edging closer to 5 metres above its usual water level, and is expected to continue rising overnight.

Further south-west at Bridgetown, the river is currently 0.17 metres' high but could swell dramatically to at least 3.5 metres on Thursday, triggering a moderate flood warning.

The Bureau of Meteorology's Neil Bennett said residents in low-lying areas should continue to monitor weather warnings over the next few days.

"There's still some concerns, there's a lot of water that's got to move out of the systems," he said.

"We just had such phenomenal rainfall in that two or three-day period and the rivers are responding to that."

The floods claimed the lives of two people caught in river crossings in the Esperance region, and authorities have issued a desperate plea for people to not try to ford flooded areas.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services' Wayne Green said motorists in the region should be wary.

"If the roads are closed, adhere to those closures and don't enter the water," he said.

Makeshift levees have been constructed on the banks of Blackwood River in Boyup Brook in an attempt to stop water impacting on an annual country music festival.

Event organiser Sharon Winter said she never expected flooding to be a problem in February.

"I've been involved for 21 years and I've never experienced this," she said.

"Without the people building this wall, this whole area would definitely be underwater."

Tourism boon a silver lining as lake fills in rare event

Despite sustaining widespread damage to crops, roads and fences, the Shire of Dumbleyung said there was a silver lining, with the rain filling up Lake Dumbleyung.

Shire president Gordon Davidson said the rare occurrence had lifted community spirits after a devastating frost event last year that crippled the local farming industry.

"Initially the flooding ruined stock feed, caused erosion and damaged fences, but as the rain continued and the filling of Lake Dumbleyung begun, we realised this was a rain that could change our community," he said.

The shire expects tourists to visit as the lake is famous for water sports, and is expected to remain full for another two to three years.

Lifelong Dumbleyung resident Christine Bairstow said the last time she remembered the lake completely full was in the early 80s.

"There's been a constant stream of traffic into the lake to see the level of the water rising," she said.

"This has just lifted everyone - it means that the young people will come down the lake, spend time there together and stay in town and not head off to the coast because we've got water."

Ms Bairstow said the water levels were close to what they were in 1964 when English speedster Donald Campbell raced his hydroplane Bluebird on the lake, breaking a world water speed record.