Western Australia found itself in the grip of an intense heatwave this week, with temperatures soaring to nearly 50 degrees Celsius. The sweltering conditions left little respite overnight, as Perth registered a minimum of 27.8 degrees at around 2:30 AM.
The extreme heat put a strain on the power grid, leading to widespread outages that affected approximately 12,000 homes. Geraldton Airport recorded a blistering 49.3 degrees, matching its hottest day on record, while Perth itself reached a peak of 43.6 degrees at 3:51 PM. The suburb of Pearce took the dubious honor of being the hottest spot in the metropolitan area, hitting 45.5 degrees.
In an effort to manage the power demands, a planned outage in Dianella left residents without air conditioning for several hours. The City of Stirling had to send employees home after their council building lost power. Other suburbs, including Cloverdale, Kewdale, Carlisle, Belmont, and Rivervale, faced similar fates, with around 3,800 customers affected. Fortunately, Western Power managed to restore most services within hours through back-feeding.
As the sun rose on Tuesday, homes in Rivervale, Dianella, Innaloo, and Byford experienced further power interruptions, with restoration times varying from 10 AM to midday. WA Premier Roger Cook emphasized the unprecedented demand on the South West power grid, stating, “Yesterday, we saw around 4500 megawatts of draw, compared to last year’s highest single-day draw of 4200 megawatts. The system is working hard to meet the heat’s demands.”
Despite Cook’s reassurances, WA Nationals leader Shane Love voiced his concerns, proposing a new policy to develop energy microgrids aimed at alleviating power outages during peak times. “We rely on low-cost, reliable electricity for essential services,” he remarked, underscoring the need for technological advancements to enhance reliability and reduce fossil fuel dependency. Love pledged a $3 million investment in a pilot microgrid project in Mullewa if elected.
Adding to the ongoing saga, Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Jessica Lingard noted that this marks the third heatwave of the summer, with expectations for five in total, two of which are severe. As the heat continues to bear down, the resilience of Western Australia’s infrastructure will be put to the test.
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