WA's South-West hit by 130km/h wind gusts, 10,000 homes without power

A POWERFUL cold front has lashed Western Australia's South West with destructive wind gusts up to 130km/h and heavy rain as it crossed the south coast.

Residents of Perth and the South-West have been warned to batten down as the stormfront packing destructive winds and heavy rain approaches and passes through early this morning.

Trees have been uprooted in some South West towns and about 10,000 homes are without power.

At 6am the leading edge of the front crossed the southwest corner of the state between Bunbury and Walpole, with wind gusts of 130km/h reported at Cape Naturaliste and 109 km/h at Cape Leeuwin.

A FESA spokesman said six calls had already been made to the SES from Dunsborough residents reporting "minor damage" to homes and property and leaking roofs.

Residents are also reporting the impact of the storm

Jail Res of Margaret River said the situation was very frightening.

"From Carbunup at Wildwood Road further north along the highway, trees everywhere across road, people turning off vehicles and getting out, hard to identify that a road is actually beneath all the debris!"

Roads turn treacherous in storm

Several major traffic accidents, possibly due to the wild weather, have already occurred this morning.

A car has rolled over in Hope Valley, south of Perth. The car rolled on Anketell Road just before 7am.

It’s believed several people are inside the car.

A motorcyclist has crashed into a tree in Cowaramup in the State’s South West. The crash happened just after 6am and the rider has been injured

Meanwhile, a traffic accident in Mandurah has forced the closure of one of its busiest intersections.

The Leslie Street and Pinjarra Road intersection is completely blocked due to the crash.

Drivers are asked to take an alternate route.

Two sets of traffic lights in Bedford have also blacked out and drivers are asked to proceed with caution.

The bureau warned that as the front continued to move north and inland, possible dangerous gusts of more than 125km/h could cause significant damage or destruction to homes and property in localised areas.

Thunderstorms and heavy rain may cause flash flooding in some areas.

Higher than normal tides could also cause flooding of low-lying coastal areas between Jurien Bay and Cape Leeuwin, particularly in Geographe Bay.