Meteorologists have said the weather system could bring 100km/h destructive winds, hail and even snow.

The fierce cold front barrelled across a vast stretch of Western Australia on Wednesday morning from Kalbarri in the state’s central west coast to east of Albany in the south.

Over the next 24 hours, in the front’s wake, will likely come showers, storms and even snow as temperatures plummet. Hail could hit Perth around lunchtime Wednesday.

In Jandakot, in the city's south, the temperature dropped four degrees in little more than half an hour. At 12.45pm the actual temperature was 11.8C but the apparent or “feels like” temperature was a frosty 0.2C — more standard for a ski resort than a city suburb at lunchtime.

At Gooseberry Hill, close to the airport, the feels like temperature sunk to -3.6C.

The average August temperature for Perth is 19C.

During winter, the apparent temperature is often far lower than the actual temperature with chill winds making it feel colder.

The severe weather warning zone includes Perth and other major centres including Bunbury, Mt Barker and Geraldton.

It’s the latest of a series of cold fronts to bear down on Western Australia in recent weeks.

“In the West, it’s all moving in. We have showers, winds and potentially gale force winds moving through the state on Wednesday,” Sky News Weather forecaster Tom Saunders said.

The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe weather warning on Wednesday for much of the south west of the state.

Damaging winds of more than 100km/h which could result in damage to homes are possible southwest of a line from Kalbarri to Beacon to Hopetoun. Already, the front has brought wind gusts of 113km/h to Cape Leeuwin.

These conditions will initially affect an area southwest of Bunbury to Albany on Wednesday morning, said the Bureau, but they will later extend throughout the remainder of the warning area.

“Behind this front this afternoon and this evening there could be squally showers, storms and hail continuing in south west parts of the state,” Mr Saunders said.

“Maximum temperatures will be well below average and there’s even the possibility of some snow overnight on the Stirling Ranges, so very cold and wintry.”

Up to 60mm of rain could fall on Perth over the next four days with storms possible on Wednesday and Friday. The mercury will reach only 16C and overnight will drop to just 6C.

The rain from the cold front and showers from the cold air may be heavy enough to lead to areas of flooding overnight, and flood watches are in place for rivers in the Lower West and South West districts, including the Moore and Hill rivers, Murray, Harvey, Collie, Preston, Busselton Coastal and South Coastal Rivers.

While the east coast will remain mostly dry on Wednesday, its effect could be felt as it travels eastwards. Adelaide is forecast to be windy with showers on Thursday. The wind will also pick up in Melbourne on Thursday with rain for Friday.

Brisbane and Sydney will stay dry and sunny for the coming days with just patchy cloud.