Australia Weather News

Residents say a freak tornado that ripped through Perth's coastal suburbs sounded "like a jet engine" as it felled trees and tore up the roofs of homes.

Multi-million-dollar properties were damaged and debris covered the roads in the affluent suburb of City Beach after the Wednesday-night storm the Bureau of Meteorology has now confirmed was a tornado.

The storm, which came with little warning, was detected intensifying around 5:20pm.

"[The storm] became significant as it immediately approached the coastline, so very limited scope for warning," meteorologist Jessica Lingard told ABC Radio Perth.

"[There's] a lot of damage that we've seen overnight and it does look like it was a tornado that caused the damage in City Beach."

Images and videos of a waterspout forming over the ocean were circulated in community social media pages.

Ms Lingard said it likely continued as a tornado.

"[It] maybe started off as a waterspout, then managed to make that sea-land boundary crossing and hold its steam together to produce that damage," Ms Lingard said.

Widespread damage

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) received 105 requests for assistance overnight and about 150 emergency services volunteers responded.

The majority of calls for help were from households with roof damage but many were also affected by flooding and water ingress. 

City Beach copped the brunt of the wild weather but there was widespread damage across the metropolitan area from Baldivis in the south to Hocking in the north and Lesmurdie in the east.

Victoria Park, Queens Park and Forrestfield were also badly affected.

'Bits of roof flying'

Tilly said she felt like the house "was about to fly away" as she watched the havoc unfolding outside while sitting in her dining room.  

"I literally just looked up through the window and dead set saw a tornado," she told ABC Radio Perth.

"There was like a column of swirling wind, there was things flying in the air, bits of roof flying, tree branches, rubbish and it was all quite high up in the air, above the tree line I would say.

"When I saw the bits of roof flying, I was worried it was going to come through the window, so I actually ducked under the table at one stage."

Mitch came home from work to parts of his roof missing and his water cut off by an up-rooted tree.

"It's just one of those things that just doesn't happen in Perth, does it?" he told ABC Radio Perth.

"It happened so quickly people were just shocked. We're out the front of our house looking at the mess going 'where do we begin'?"

'Like a jet engine'

City Beach resident Anita McSweeney was out at the time the tornado ripped through the area but said when she returned home later that night, she was confronted by destruction.

"I can only describe it as devastation," she told ABC Radio Perth.

"West Coast Highway was covered in huge branches, which I tried to move off the road for the traffic, and the pathway was just covered.

"We were just in the direct firing line, the trees are just struck down.

"Then it moved beyond our place south-east and took off our friend's roof."

Another resident, Carlene, said she did not see the storm coming but the sound of the wind outside was "extraordinary."

"All of a sudden we heard this amazing, like, a roar, like a jet engine … the wind came through the house," she told ABC Radio Perth.

"Creating havoc outside — the next door neighbour's trees are split in half."

The Town of Cambridge reported "significant damage" to homes and and roads in City Beach, particularly properties in Kalari Drive, Lentara Crescent and Marapana Drive.

"Our thoughts are with the residents who experienced serious property damage, and in some cases, had to leave their homes last night," mayor Gary Mack said. 

"We understand this is distressing and while the full extent of the storm damage is still being assessed, we are committed to supporting our community through the recovery process."

There have been no reports of injuries.