Perth woke to lightning strikes and congestion this morning, after an unexpected thunderstorm crossed the city.

The front developed overnight due to a weather feature known as the West Coast Trough, affecting southern suburbs first before moving north.

February is typically dry in Western Australia, with zero rainfall recorded throughout the month last year.

The Bureau of Meteorology’s Jessica Lingard says there was no mention of thunderstorms in this morning’s weather forecast because of low risk.

She says 5.6mm of rain has been recorded this month, less than 40 per cent of WA’s usual February rainfall.

“Unfortunately, under a changing climate, the likelihood that we’re going to see drier and drier summers becomes more likely,” she says.

“It’s more than likely that all rainfall was sucked up by plants, and not a drop made its way through the catchments into the dams.”

Ms Lingard says they are not expecting any more thunderstorms to form in the coming days.

Main Roads WA real time traffic media manager Bernie Dimanlig says there were more than 20 incidents across Perth’s metropolitan area this morning, as well as traffic signals blacked out across the city.

“A lot of these incidents weren’t the sort of simple bumper to bumper crashes. They were quite significant,” she says.

“The big thing really is just to allow for extra travel time, ensure that safe breaking distance and have your headlights switched on.”

Chair and founder of the Australian Road Safety Foundation Russell White says today’s increase in incidents is not a surprise.

He says managing traffic comes down to situational awareness, and making sure your car is equipped to handle the wet weather.

“We’ve got to be careful with the narrative. Certainly, the rain is a contributing factor, but it’s not the only one,” he says.

“That translates not only to when conditions are wet, but it also means changing what you’re doing in the dry.”

St John’s Ambulance reported three people were struck by lightning, including and two teenagers attending school in Mount Helena, and 78-year-old Michael Day. All three were hospitalised but are believed to be recovering well, although Mr Day’s dog died after the incident.

Kununurra artist Jeanne Barnes has been struck by lightning twice, first when she was 12 years old, and again 6 years later, leaving her with temporary hearing loss.

She says both strikes occurred while she was using a landline telephone.

“It was like being hit by a plank or a baseball bat; it burned,” she says.

“I’m scared of lightning now for sure.  I will never stay outdoors during a storm, and I don’t touch anything metal or even think conducting thoughts!”

Ms Barnes’ advice to others is to never pick up a landline or stand under a tree during a thunderstorm.

If you or anyone you know has been affected by a road crash, contact Road Trauma Support on 1300 004 814.