Deluge brings traffic snarls and chaos

Wet weather brought thousands of commuters to a crawl with several crashes causing traffic chaos across Perth's roads yesterday.

Perth recorded 26mm, or more than one-fifth of last year's entire autumn rainfall, in the eight hours from 9am.

The deluge took Perth's March rainfall to more than double its average amount.

Traffic was banked up for almost 10km along the Mitchell Freeway north after a car rolled over after colliding with a vehicle near the Vincent Street exit about 2.20pm yesterday.

Police are also investigating if the stormy conditions were to blame for an accident that left two people trapped after their car crashed into a tree by the side of Stoneville Road, near Great Eastern Highway, Mundaring, about 1.40pm. A man was seriously injured and was taken to Royal Perth Hospital for treatment.

Another crash half an hour earlier in Karrakup, on Nettleton Road and Admiral Road south, also tied up emergency services, with a male driver taken to RPH after he crashed into a tree.

A fire, believed to be caused by lightning, caused $250,000 damage to a Champion Lakes home about 5pm.