Western Australia hit by 1.38 million lightning strikes

Western Australia has experienced extreme weather activity, including more than 1.38 million lightning strikes recorded within a 48-hour period ending Monday morning. Much of this activity was concentrated in the Goldfields-Esperance region, specifically within an 800km radius of Leonora.

The intense storm system, driven by tropical moisture feeding into a slow-moving low-pressure trough, has also brought significant rainfall. Kalgoorlie recorded 66mm of rain from Friday to Monday, which is approximately five times the historical September average.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued severe thunderstorm warnings for the Goldfields, South East Coastal, and Eucla regions, noting the potential for damaging winds, large hail, and heavy rainfall that could lead to flash flooding. Meteorologists expect the system to move east toward South Australia by Wednesday. Further showers are forecasted for the metropolitan and South West regions of the state through the coming days.