About 18,000 homes remain without power in Perth and Western Australia’s southwest as the third major storm since Thursday approaches the region.

About 30 schools are currently closed as a result of the wild weather.

Electricity utility Western Power on Tuesday said crews would focus on restoring power to the worst-affected areas following a storm on Sunday, when the fourth strongest wind gust on record hit the state, clocking 146km/h.

Winds of about 125km/h, equivalent to a category two cyclone, are expected to hit the large region south of Geraldton later on Tuesday.

Western Power said about 7500 customers in the metropolitan area were still without power.

A further 10,700 customers in country areas were yet to be reconnected, mainly in Donnybrook, Pinjarra, Kewdale and Boddington.

Only 300 customers in the Mandurah, Dawesville and Meadow Springs region were still waiting for power.

“Some houses may remain without power for several days as the mop-up continues and Western Power asks for people to be patient and to consider relocating to homes of family and friends that have power,” the utility said in a statement.

Western Power, which reconnected more than 150,000 customers in the past 36 hours, urged people to clear or secure any debris from around their homes in preparation for the fresh storm front later on Tuesday.

Sunday’s storm caused unprecedented damage to the state’s electricity network and came three days after a tornado swept through the northern suburbs of Dianella and Morley, damaging homes and businesses, and uprooting trees.

The latest storm is expected to peak at midnight (WST).