Wild storm sweeps through Perth in Western Australia

A wild storm has hit Western Australia's capital Perth, tearing part of the roof of a new hotel in the city's central business district (CBD), local media reported Wednesday. A section of roof from the Terrace Hotel on St Georges Terrace in Perth CBD was blown off as the storm swept through the city just after 11:00 a.m. (local time) on Wednesday, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported. One of the chimneys on the hotels roof collapsed, sending rubble onto a pedestrian walkway below. The area has been cordoned off as glass and bricks continued to fall on the street. The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) confirmed that it had received a number ofcalls about fallen trees from various suburbs of Perth. Around 27,000 properties in the metropolitan area were left without power due to wild weather. DFES was warning residents of dangerous thunderstorms approaching the state's south-west. Cottelsoe and City Beaches in Perth have been closed due to dangerous conditions.