Perth Weather: July to go out with “bit of a bang” tomorrow, potential snow for Bluff Knoll

Perth is set for a final round of July rainfall, with a strong winter storm arriving with a “bit of a bang,” according to the Weather Bureau.

We might even see the first snow of winter as temperatures plummet throughout southern WA.

A series of cold fronts are moving over the south west, with another one to bring heavy rain, strong winds and hail tomorrow.

Meteorologist Angus Hines warned it’ll be a little stronger than the recent storms.

“Once we get to the evening and into the night, that’s when that cold front will arrive and it’s going to bring with it a bit of a bang as well,” he said.

“Rain with some pockets of heavy falls, thunderstorms including some severe thunderstorms which could bring us damaging wind gusts, lightning and thunder all possible.”

It could deliver up to 70 millimetres along western WA and will also bring decent rainfall to farming areas.

And it means a top up of Perth’s healthy rainfall for the month – we’ve had above average falls for the first time in more than a year, which is a welcome change after lengthy stretches of warm, dry weather.

It’s been a wet July outside of Perth too.

Some parts of the mid west have had twice their monthly average. Kalgoorlie is sitting at about one and a half times higher.

Bureau of Meteorology WA’s Jessica Lingard forecast that after the winter soaking, the icy chill will take hold.

“The cold pool behind the cold front will bring showers of small hail on Thursday and Friday,” Lingard said.

“We’ll see a drop in maximum temperatures in the wake of the cold front, with conditions even getting cold enough around the Stirling Ranges for the chance of a light dusting of snow on Bluff Knoll on Thursday, which would be the first of winter.”

She says if you’re after a winter wonderland in WA, that is the place to go.

“The most likely times to see snow on the Stirling Ranges is during July, August and September, so even if we do not see any of the elusive flakes, there are likely to be more opportunities over the next two months!”

Lee Steele is a journalist for Channel 10, reporting on news, weather and what’s on around Perth and WA.