Perth weather: Smoke alert issued for Perth and South West

A smoke alert has been issued for the Perth metropolitan region and parts of the South West, with forecasters predicting the smog will stick around for at least the next 24 hours.

The layer of thick grey smoke began blanketing the large area from Perth to Busselton late yesterday, and has now spread as far as the Forrest and South West Highways.

Due to light winds and a low temperature inversion, the smoke was dispersed across the regions overnight and has now come to a relative standstill, encircling the vast region.

The heavy smog stems from a combination of prescribed burns by the Parks and Wildlife Service, as well as a number of burns being conducted on private properties.

Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Jim Richardson said the temperature inversion, which meant there was lighter, less dense and warmer air above the surface, would stick around through the morning.

He said those conditions prevented the air from mixing, but said: “that’ll start to break down again in the afternoon.”

“The conditions will improve with the arrival of some light winds, but it still hangs around a bit,” Mr Richardson said.

Exposure can exacerbate asthma and other respiratory conditions.

It won’t be much of a reprieve, however, with the smoke not expected to lift fully until tomorrow afternoon.

“The temperature inversion will form again tonight,” he said, suggesting residents in Perth and parts of the South West will wake up to similar conditions tomorrow as they experienced today.

“And then the winds will pick up a bit later tomorrow morning. There will be more cloud cover tomorrow though.”

The Department of Health urged the public to take the necessary health precautions to minimise exposure to the haze, including switching off air conditioners that don’t allow for fresh air intake, shutting doors and windows, staying inside if possible and limiting or avoiding outdoor exercise.

“Exposure to smoke from fires can exacerbate asthma and other respiratory conditions, cause coughing and shortness of breath, and temporarily irritate the eyes, nose and throat,” a statement said.

Anyone experiencing negative health effects from the smoke is urged to seek medical attention from their GP or call Health Direct on 1800 022 222.