CYCLONE ILSA HAS ‘HIGH CHANCE’ OF TURNING ‘SEVERE’

Cyclone Ilsa is currently off the North West coast, and there is a ‘high chance’ it will reach ‘severe cyclone’ intensity before it crosses the coast between Port Hedland and Broome late Thursday or early Friday.

Winds in excess of 200 km an hour are expected with heavy rainfall.

The watch areas for the cyclone’s paths are Beagle Bay to Whim Creek, including Port Hedland and Broome, and inland adjacent areas to Telfer. These may change as the cyclone develops. 

DFES are recommending people not go near the coast as abnormally high tides and large waves are expected.

Pilbara Ports Authority started clearing vessels from the Port of Port Hedland inner harbour this morning.

All port anchorages within the Port of Port Hedland boundary have been cleared.

Pilbara and Kimberley's communities are taking precautions with the help of DFES. 

Caravaners at 80-mile beach are being evacuated before the Great Northern Highway between Broome and Port Hedland is expected to close. 

DFES are continuing to warn stations and Indigenous communities inland as the path of the cyclone becomes clearer. 

“The damaging winds and heavy rainfall that could lead to flooding could extend many hundreds of kilometres inland,” he said.

“So places like Telfer, if they are right in the firing line of a system like this they could experience some damaging winds and heavy rainfall that could lead to flooding, and that’s as we go into Friday and over the weekend.”