The first storm to hit Western Australia this winter will bring destructive winds similar to those which fanned the Albany bushfires last month, with a flooding alert for the Gascoyne and Pilbara regions.
A severe weather warning has been issued for coastal residents between Windy Harbour and Kalbarri, including the Perth metropolitan.
Residents are being warned to prepare for damaging wind gusts up to 100km/h late on Monday night and heavy rain developing on Tuesday.
Severe weather services manager Bradley Santos, from the Bureau of Meteorology, says two weather systems are behind the wild weather with tropical moisture feeding a rain ban developing in the Gascoyne region and a cold front brewing in the South West.
"Those two systems will interact with the potential for severe weather over quite a large area of WA from late Monday and throughout Tuesday," Mr Santos said.
He said the Gascoyne could be drenched with up to 100mm of daily rainfall, with isolated falls of up to 150mm and a flood watch in place for the Murchison, Minilya, Gascoyne and Ashburton River catchments.
Rough seas with three to five-metre swells and potential flooding could also impact coastal areas between Jurien Bay and Walpole, including beach erosion.
Wind gusts exceeding 125km/h and capable of destroying homes could batter residents on the coast from Bunbury to Walpole on Monday night and Tuesday morning as the storm front passes over the area.
Department of Fire and Emergency Services superintendent John Newman said they'd been working "very closely" with local governments to discourage people from lighting fires in windy weather.
A similar weather warning had been issued by the BoM on Wednesday May 23 before about 50 fires broke out in the City of Albany, including a DFES blaze which burnt through Stirling Range National Park, fanned by wind gusts of more than 100km/h
Similar conditions are expected when the storm hits Albany late on Monday, with only light rain predicted to fall in the area.
