Michelle Stanley

Jan 23, 2025 | abc.net.au | Verity Gorman |Rosemary Murphy |Kelly Gudgeon |Michelle Stanley

A severe thunderstorm has damaged homes in Western Australia's north. The Weather Bureau says an isolated storm hit the Pilbara town of Marble Bar around 6:15pm on Thursday with 113kph winds recorded. An emergency warning was issued for the area shortly after. Jessica Jenkins from the Marble Bar Volunteer Fire and Emergency Services told the ABC that six homes had lost roofs and walls and a further 10 homes had been damaged. "The storm was a scary experience for Marble Bar locals," she said.

Jan 14, 2025 | abc.net.au | Rosemary Murphy |Michelle Stanley |Kelly Gudgeon

Heavy rains have smashed Western Australia's Pilbara, closing a major highway and cutting a landmark town off from outside access. Better known for its scorching temperatures at this time of year, Marble Bar, 1,470 kilometres north of Perth, was hit with 104mm of rain in just over two hours on Monday evening. The system was the latest in a near-week of storms across parts of the Pilbara that have closed numerous roads, including the North West Coastal Highway.

Jan 13, 2025 | abc.net.au | Rosemary Murphy |Michelle Stanley |Kelly Gudgeon |Sophia Alston

Heavy rainfall, a strange skyline and a waterspout over the ocean are just some of the weather phenomena witnessed across Western Australia's Pilbara region over the past 24 hours. The stormy weather has delighted many locals who watched on in awe. Dampier resident Eloise Dortch was out walking her dog on Monday morning when something caught her eye off the coast. "I didn't know what I was looking at," Ms Dortch said. "I saw this weird, dark trail going from the rain clouds down into ocean.

Jan 12, 2025 | abc.net.au | Michelle Stanley |Rosemary Murphy

The crewmates of a seafarer missing off the Philippines coast have shared their distress as questions remain over what happened to their friend and colleague. Filipino deck fitter Gel Aguaviva was reported missing from Rio Tinto's bulk carrier RTM Zheng He on Boxing Day. At the time, the vessel was in international waters near the Philippines, travelling from China to the West Australian port of Dampier, 1,530 kilometres north of Perth.

Jan 10, 2025 | abc.net.au | Jarrod Lucas |Katrina Tap |Michelle Stanley

Rehabilitation provider Shalom House will close its Kalgoorlie-Boulder facility to focus on its Swan Valley operations near Perth. Shalom House is run by reformed drug dealer and former Australian of the Year finalist Peter Lyndon-James.   The only other residential rehabilitation provider in Kalgoorlie-Boulder says it has more than 150 people on a waiting list.