Western Australia state hit by 'once-in-a-decade' storm

About 50,000 homes and businesses were without power across Western Australia state on Sunday as a severe storm hit the the coast and brought wind gusts of more than 100 kilometres per hour, officials said.

Conditions were expected to worsen overnight as the storm progressed.

Jon Broomhall, acting assistant commissioner of Western Australia's department of fire and emergency services, called the storm "a once-in-a-decade-type system."