More than 36 hours after a severe summer storm tore through Western Australia's southern regions, electricity has finally been restored to the majority of affected homes and businesses.
Metropolitan Power Fully Restored
On Tuesday, December 16, 2025, Western Power confirmed that all customers in the Perth metropolitan area had their power reconnected. The utility provider's crews worked tirelessly to address widespread network faults caused by the intense weather system that battered Perth, the Mid West, and the Wheatbelt on Sunday afternoon.
The storm left a trail of damage, but efforts have seen power restored to more than 104,000 properties. The community's patience was acknowledged by Western Power as repair teams tackled the extensive storm-related issues across the grid.
Bushfires Prolong Crisis in Mid West
While the storm-related outages in Perth are resolved, a separate and ongoing crisis is preventing restoration for thousands. Up to 11,000 customers in the State's Mid West region remain without electricity. This is not due to the storm, but because of several active bushfires that have damaged critical services and equipment.
A bushfire watch and act alert is current for areas within the shires of Chittering, Gingin, Dandaragan, Victoria Plains, Coorow, and Warradarge. The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) has warned that the situation remains dangerous.
"There remains a possible threat to lives and homes as a fire is burning in the area and conditions are changing," a DFES spokesperson stated.
Compensation Available for Extended Outages
For those who endured lengthy blackouts, Western Power has outlined a compensation process. Customers who were without electricity for more than 12 consecutive hours are eligible to apply for an extended outage payment, often referred to as an inconvenience payment.
"Customers who experienced an outage for longer than 12 consecutive hours are encouraged to apply for an extended outage payment," a Western Power spokesperson advised. This initiative is part of the utility's commitment to acknowledging the significant disruption caused by such major weather events.
The recovery effort highlights the dual challenges faced by Western Australia: intense summer storms and the ever-present threat of bushfires, both capable of crippling essential infrastructure and testing the resilience of communities and emergency services.
