Lucky escape as wild weather hits WA
Updated
A man was trapped in his bed under rubble after a massive tree crashed against his house in Parkwood (Kathryn Diss)
A couple in their 50s are lucky to be alive after a tree fell on their house in the Perth suburb of Parkwood.
The tree landed across the front of their house during last night's storms and caused extensive damage.
The State Emergency Service's Allen Gale says a man was trapped in his bed under the rubble.
"There was a man trapped under that tree inside the house for half an hour or so. I believe a man and a woman were both taken to hospital to be treated," he said.
"We're just so very fortunate that it hasn't been more serious."
A neighbour, Olivia Bong, says she heard the tree falling on the house in Ravenslea Drive.
"I heard a big bang and then I saw there is one big truck coming in and one small car with the lights (emergency vehicles) coming to the house and then the house was blacked out," she said.
A cold front over the south-west of the state dumped heavy rain and wind gusts of up to 100 kilometres an hour buffeted the coast.
Almost 30 millimetres of rain has fallen in Perth while 50 fell in Bickley.
Mr Gale says SES crews have been busy.
"We've had moderate damage in the metro area; about 52 calls for assistance in total. There's been another five out in the country," he said.
Up to 5,000 people in Thornlie lost power during the height of the storm last night.
Western Power says most have been reconnected but up to 400 customers may be without power for another 5 hours.
Rescue
Meanwhile, a sea rescue boat has been deployed off the Carnarvon coast to stop a 30-foot yacht, with two people onboard, from smashing into rocks.
A number of vessels have dragged anchor in the strong winds.
Rick Friswell from the local volunteer sea rescue team says it is a risky situation, especially if the vessel comes into contact with rocks.
"The vessel will be badly damaged, possibly holed and sink there so that vessel could sustain quite substantial damage to it if they do get smashed into the rocks," he said.
The Bureau of Meteorology's duty forecaster Matt Boterhoven says the wild weather is set to continue today.
"The strong cold front is still moving through the south-west of the state," he said.
"Expect some wild weather during Friday with thunderstorms, could produce wind gusts up to 90 kilometres per hour."
"We've got a severe weather warning for the South-West land division, Southern Gascoyne, south and west to Goldfields and that includes various towns around that area and Perth."
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