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Western Australia’s northern residents are battening down the hatches as a resurrected Tropical Cyclone Narelle builds strength over the ocean before it is predicted to cross the state’s Mid West coast at the weekend as a “severe” system.
Narelle moved off the west Kimberley coast overnight and out into the Indian Ocean, where it is again gathering steam before continuing its track south.
As of 11am Wednesday, WA time, Narelle is a category 2 system and is moving slowly toward the Pilbara coast, where communities are expected to feel the impacts of the weather system over the coming 48 hours.
The Pilbara, which is prone to cyclones and has houses built to withstand severe systems, is currently in the watch zone.
The Pilbara Ports Authority has begun clearing ports at Ashburton, Cape Preston West, Dampier and Varanus Island in preparation, and there have been no major disruption to fly-in, fly-out operations as of Wednesday. Some mine sites in the watch zone will enact usual safety protocols as the system moves over in the evening.
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Angus Hines said Narelle’s strength will likely continue to build ahead of it crossing the coast on the weekend.
“It will continue to build into a severe category 3 tropical cyclone during Thursday morning, but that is not the end of it either,” he said.
“Narelle [is] really likely to strengthen through the next few days, and could reach category 4 – that is a really powerful, really major weather system – by the end of the day Thursday.
“The main risk in the coming few days will be damaging to destructive winds, particularly along this stretch of coast of Karratha and Coral Bay … we could see wind gusts in excess of 140km/h later this week.”
Hines said the cyclone would likely begin to shift south on Friday, and the Gascoyne coast would feel its impacts at the start of the weekend.
“It is very likely to make its coastal crossing in the very early hours of Saturday morning,” he said.
“Based on current forecasts, that coastal crossing is most likely to occur along the Gascoyne coast between Carnarvon and Kalbarri – likely around the Shark Bay and Denham area as a severe category 3 tropical cyclone.
“Beyond this, Narelle will continue to move southwards … tracking inland, and that path would take it to east of Perth, to the Wheatbelt, the Great Southern and down towards the Esperance coastline.
“This could occur as a category 1 tropical cyclone, but maybe it would have already fallen back to a tropical low … by the time it gets to Perth.”
Major rain and wind will likely impact Perth on Friday and throughout the weekend.
Residents in Kalbarri and as far south as Geraldton have been warned to prepare for the possibility of the cyclone crossing close to both towns.
Buildings in those towns are not built to withstand cyclones in the same way towns in WA’s Kimberley and Pilbara are, prompting authorities to issue an early warning to residents to exercise extreme caution in the days ahead.
A spokesman for Kalbarri’s State Emergency Service said it was important residents were prepared.
“As these systems can change quite quickly we are taking a cautious approach,” he said.
“If you can notify friends, family and neighbours of this it would be a great help – make sure you have a plan for if required, please be up to date with the cyclone warning system.
“There is still uncertainty over what will occur, but we would appreciate your help in being prepared.
“We will have more solid information over coming days.”
Sandbags will be available at the emergency services yard on Thursday and Friday this week, although there is no dedicated evacuation centre established in town.
The Shire of Northampton acting chief executive Brian Anderson said his council was keeping a close eye on the forecast over the coming days.
“Cyclones can be difficult to predict [and] there is a high level of uncertainty about its intensity, likely path and where it will impact. The shire will provide updates as they become available,” he said.
Steve Eley, who runs Kalbarri Sports and Dive, said the town was banding together to help each other prepare.
“We’re doing alright – we’re not silly, and we’re not complacent,” he said.
“We have a really good relationship with our local SES – he’s actually a local shop owner right next door to us, and he’s able to have relay information in real time for us.
“He helps us to not only look after our businesses.
“The other beautiful thing about being here in Kalbarri is there are a lot of crew jumping in and helping the old guys, the older demographic, trying to clean up their places so we get in early.
“Having gone through Cyclone Seroja five years ago, it’s just about getting on the front foot with these things.”
Cyclone Seroja decimated the Kalbarri town centre when it ripped through in 2021, causing a $400 million damage bill for the small populace.
Cyclone Narelle is the first time since 2005 that a cyclone has impacted all three tropical states and territories in one swoop – the NT, Queensland and WA – according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
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