Curtin University cuts power to IT labs during storm

Computer facilities at Curtin University were shut down and some students evacuated as wild storms tore through Perth last night.

The roof of a computer laboratory began leaking after golf ball-size hail, 35mm of rain and wind gusts exceeding 120km/h pelted the city.

Curtin CIO Peter Nikoletatos said university IT staff cut power to computers in the university's business school to prevent damage to the systems.

"The roof was leaking and the labs were shut down as a precaution," Nikoletatos said.

He said Twitter reports claiming the roof had collapsed in a computer laboratory were false.

Nikoletatos said IT services were running normally this morning.

Some students reported on Twitter they were evacuated from the university as alarms were set off during the storms.

Several schools in the capital are closed today due to storm damage.

Western Power told media power was cut to about 150,000 homes.

Parts of the city's King's Park became a mudslide that damaged cars and filled an apartment only minutes from the university.

Public transport was thrown into chaos during the storms with widespread blackouts affecting traffic lights throughout the city..