WA Weather: Ferry services to Rottnest cancelled due to ‘severe weather warning’ with 100km/hr winds expected

Wild weather has ruined weekend plans to Rottnest, with ferry services cancelling trips to the island on Sunday and Monday due to the severe forecast.

Rottnest Express and Sealink have cancelled all trips to and from the island across the two day period, while Rottnest Fast Ferries still have a service running, leaving Perth at 8.30am and returning at 9.45am on Sunday.

Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Catherine Schelfhout said WA should brace for a storm with gale winds.

“We have a reasonably strong cold front coming through, expected to cross the South West cape during Sunday afternoon and then reach the Perth metropolitan area later in the day,” she said.

“On Sunday it does look like there is a chance of severe weather with that front, so we are likely to be issuing a severe weather warning (on Saturday).

“That would be for damaging wind gusts up to 90km per hour through Geraldton to Katanning, then along the south coast.

“Closer to the west coast those wind gusts could be up to 100km per hour.”

She said even if the winds don’t reach those speeds, it will still be “uncomfortably” windy.

“There’ll certainly be some periods of pretty heavy showers, some thunderstorms within the front as well and some pretty strong and gusty winds,” Ms Schelfhout said.

“Even if they don’t quite reach severe thresholds, it will be pretty uncomfortably gusty.”

The storms and strong gale are expected to die down by Tuesday with “much milder conditions” expected.

Perth Weather Forecast:

Saturday: 5C-17C, sunny.

Sunday: 8C-19C, chance of thunderstorm.

Monday: 6C-15C, very high chance of showers.

Tuesday: 7C-16C, high chance of showers.

Wednesday: 8C-17C, very high chance of showers.

Thursday: 7C-18C, high chance of showers.