SEO meta description: Thunderstorms cut power to more than 22,000 customers in Geraldton and WA’s Mid West, while wild winds topple trees and spark outages across Tasmania’s coast.
Severe weather has triggered widespread power outages in two states on Sunday, December 14, 2025, with Western Australia’s Mid West and Tasmania’s north-west coast among the hardest hit.
In Geraldton, thunderstorms knocked out electricity to tens of thousands of homes and businesses overnight, prompting the opening of a community respite centre as crews and aerial patrols worked to locate and repair faults. [1]
Across Tasmania, damaging winds brought down trees and power lines—particularly in the north-west—prompting police warnings for motorists and a surge in call-outs as emergency agencies cleared hazards. [2]
What ties these incidents together is a familiar summer pattern: fast-moving storm activity capable of causing sudden, large-scale disruption—power loss, communications issues, and dangerous debris—within minutes. [3]
Geraldton blackout: Thunderstorms plunge parts of WA’s Mid West into an extended outage
A mass power outage was reported just after 10pm on Saturday night (December 13) in Geraldton and surrounding Mid West towns, after thunderstorms swept through the region. [4]
By Sunday afternoon, Western Power figures cited in local reporting showed 22,105 customers without electricity across Geraldton suburbs and nearby communities including Northampton, Port Denison, Dongara, Nabawa and Mullewa. [5]
Restoration times: some areas given an estimate, others left uncertain
Western Power’s estimated restoration times varied by location on Sunday:
- Geraldton and many surrounding areas: an estimated restoration time of 8pm Sunday—up to around 22 hours after the outage was first reported. [6]
- Kalbarri:176 customers affected with an estimated restoration time of 6pm Sunday. [7]
- Multiple localities (including places such as Northampton and a long list of Geraldton suburbs/nearby areas): a restoration estimate of 8pm Sunday was reported. [8]
- Some towns (including Carnamah, Three Springs and others listed by the outlet): restoration timing was reported as unknown for 558 customers. [9]
Western Power also warned that the scale of the affected area and the resources required to patrol it could mean some customers remain without power for an extended period, with impacted customers to be contacted via SMS. [10]
What caused the outage?
According to Western Power statements reported by Geraldton Guardian and The West Australian, the overnight storm impacted two transmission lines, and the utility deployed both ground crews and a helicopter patrol to carry out technical inspections and pinpoint the fault. [11]
Western Power also noted that storm activity was causing high fault levels across the network, increasing the risk of extended outages as conditions evolve. [12]
Heat, services, and supply pressures in Geraldton
The outage struck as Geraldton experienced summer heat: local reporting said the temperature reached 38.5°C at 10:08am before dropping to 30.6°C by 11am. [13]
Residents also faced practical knock-on effects. Local reporting described:
- Service disruptions including closed service stations and supermarkets in parts of Geraldton, with long queues at the limited outlets where fuel remained available. [14]
- Potential impacts to mobile phone coverage in affected areas, while major hospitals remained operational. [15]
Community response: police messaging and a respite centre
Mid West-Gascoyne Police issued public messaging urging residents to look out for vulnerable community members and noted relevant government agencies were responding. [16]
A respite centre was opened at the Queen Elizabeth II Community Centre, 88 Durlacher Street, and was reported as operating until 5pm Sunday. [17]
Safety warning: fallen power lines
Authorities urged anyone who sees a fallen power line to stay eight metres away and contact Western Power’s emergency number 13 13 51. [18]
Tasmania: Wild winds bring trees down, damage power lines, and spark coastal outages
In Tasmania, the focus on Sunday shifted to damaging winds—particularly in the north-west—where authorities reported trees and power lines being brought down and motorists being warned of sudden hazards on rural roads. [19]
Tasmania Police said they were responding to an increase in calls across north-west Tasmania, and that for incidents already reported, relevant agencies were tasked with removing hazards. [20]
How strong were the winds?
The most extreme wind conditions reported on Sunday came from Tasmania’s south-west.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s observation data shows Maatsuyker Island recorded wind gusts of 145 km/h at 3:09am. [21]
In the state’s north-west, BOM observations show Kennaook / Cape Grim recorded a gust of 89 km/h at 11:03am. [22]
At Devonport Airport, BOM observation data indicates gusts climbed into the mid-70s around midday, including 76 km/h at 12:30pm. [23]
Power outages “on the coast”: thousands affected
A separate report from The Advocate (paywalled) described a mass power outage hitting “the coast” and affecting thousands of homes, with TasNetworks reporting outages in multiple areas including Wynyard and Devonport. [24]
Taken together with police reports of downed trees and power lines, the picture is consistent with wind-driven damage to electricity infrastructure—often the fastest route to widespread outages during frontal weather. [25]
What’s driving the chaos: thunderstorms in WA, a cold front and strong winds in Tasmania
The weather mechanisms behind Sunday’s disruptions were different, but the impacts look similar on the ground: damaged power infrastructure, transport hazards, and pressure on emergency services.
- In WA’s Mid West, thunderstorms overnight were blamed for increased fault levels and transmission-line impacts, triggering the Geraldton-area blackout. [26]
- In Tasmania, a cold front was reported to be bringing widespread showers, possible thunderstorms and small hail in the west and far south, with winds expected to ease into Monday. [27]
Pulse Tasmania also reported that snow was forecast above 700 metres in western and southern regions by Sunday evening, underlining how sharp the change can be even in mid-December when strong southern systems punch through. [28]
Practical advice for residents: what to do during storm-driven outages and wind damage
Even short outages can become serious if they coincide with extreme heat, unsafe roads, or disrupted communications. Here are key steps echoed by official-style safety messaging included in Sunday’s reporting:
If you’re in the Geraldton/Mid West outage zone
- Treat downed lines as live: stay at least eight metres away and report hazards to Western Power. [29]
- If you have vulnerable neighbours or family, consider checking in—police messaging urged communities to “look out for each other.” [30]
- If you need a cool, safe place during the outage, local reporting said a respite centre operated at QEII Community Centre (Durlacher St) on Sunday. [31]
If you’re in Tasmania’s wind-affected areas
- Avoid unnecessary travel on rural roads when winds are bringing trees down—police warned of fallen trees appearing “without warning.” [32]
- Keep clear of damaged trees and power lines and let response crews clear hazards; police said relevant agencies were tasked to remove reported dangers. [33]
The bottom line
Sunday’s severe weather has created a split-screen emergency across Australia: a major thunderstorm-driven blackout in WA’s Mid West, and damaging winds and coastal outages in Tasmania.
In Geraldton, the scale of the outage—tens of thousands impacted—combined with heat and limited services has made restoration timing and public safety messaging critical. [34]
In Tasmania, the wind event has been strong enough to record a 145 km/h gust at Maatsuyker Island, with knock-on impacts including trees and power lines down, a rise in police call-outs, and thousands reportedly without power on the coast. [35]
As crews continue repairs and conditions shift, residents are being urged to stay alert, avoid hazards, and keep checking official outage updates and weather warnings as the situation develops. [36]
References
1. www.geraldtonguardian.com.au, 2. pulsetasmania.com.au, 3. www.geraldtonguardian.com.au, 4. www.geraldtonguardian.com.au, 5. www.geraldtonguardian.com.au, 6. www.geraldtonguardian.com.au, 7. www.geraldtonguardian.com.au, 8. www.geraldtonguardian.com.au, 9. www.geraldtonguardian.com.au, 10. www.geraldtonguardian.com.au, 11. www.geraldtonguardian.com.au, 12. www.westernpower.com.au, 13. www.geraldtonguardian.com.au, 14. www.geraldtonguardian.com.au, 15. www.geraldtonguardian.com.au, 16. www.geraldtonguardian.com.au, 17. www.geraldtonguardian.com.au, 18. www.geraldtonguardian.com.au, 19. pulsetasmania.com.au, 20. pulsetasmania.com.au, 21. www.bom.gov.au, 22. www.bom.gov.au, 23. www.bom.gov.au, 24. www.theadvocate.com.au, 25. pulsetasmania.com.au, 26. www.geraldtonguardian.com.au, 27. pulsetasmania.com.au, 28. pulsetasmania.com.au, 29. www.geraldtonguardian.com.au, 30. www.geraldtonguardian.com.au, 31. www.geraldtonguardian.com.au, 32. pulsetasmania.com.au, 33. pulsetasmania.com.au, 34. www.geraldtonguardian.com.au, 35. www.bom.gov.au, 36. www.westernpower.com.au
