A tropical cyclone has formed off Western Australia’s northwest coast, prompting residents in the Pilbara region to prepare for potential impacts. Reporter Charlie Mills has the latest from Port Hedland.
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00:00Tropical cyclone Zelia has formed this morning off the Kimberley coast.
00:07It currently sits as a Category 1 system about 280km west of Broome and about 320km north
00:15of here in Port Hedland.
00:17We have heard a bit from the Bureau of Meteorology in what we can expect in terms of the track
00:22of this cyclone.
00:23Let's take a listen.
00:24A lot of work to do I should say in the coming days for it to do that, but definitely looking
00:28like increasing chances of a crossing of a severe cyclone on Friday, probably to the
00:32west, sorry to the east of Port Hedland.
00:36Today communities have woken up to some pretty heavy rain up and down the coast, especially
00:41here in Port Hedland.
00:44That cyclone advice warning is in place for between Broome and Dampier as well as inland
00:49to Marble Bar.
00:51We're expecting some damaging wind gusts for Broome and Port Hedland regions.
00:56Currently there are cyclone advice warnings in that region to prepare now and to continue
01:00monitoring those conditions.
01:02We are expecting some of those isolated heavy rainfalls along the coast from Broome to Dampier
01:08and that is expected to pick up later today.
01:11Meanwhile preparations are underway here in Port Hedland.
01:15Yesterday the Port Authority began the process of clearing the Port of Port Hedland which
01:20is the world's largest bulk export port and they expect to be completed with that process
01:25by 6pm this evening.
01:27Meanwhile the local government authority has begun their cyclone processes including tying
01:32down any loose items or trees.
01:35Residents here have been urged to prepare their homes in part by grabbing sandbags from
01:41the local SES Centre.
01:43We spoke to the SES Centre on Monday afternoon and they told us they had given out around
01:473,500 sandbags over two days so people are taking advantage of the resources available
01:53to them.
01:55We also went to the local caravan park here yesterday where there were a number of visitors
01:59and permanent residents there.
02:01They've been told they need to leave by this morning in order to protect their safety.
02:06Meanwhile people in Port Hedland are monitoring those conditions, waiting on tenterhooks to
02:10see how it develops over the next few days.