WESTERN Australia's Pilbara coast is on red alert as category three Cyclone Rusty intensifies, packing winds of nearly 200km/h and threatening to wreak havoc.
Residents between Pardoo and Whim Creek on WA's North West coast, including Port Hedland, are bracing for the worst as the destructive tropical cyclone bears down on the remote Pilbara communities.
Emergency services telling people in low-lying areas of Port Hedland to relocate immediately as the large, slow-moving storm, upgraded to a category three system last night, closes in.
The Bureau of Meteorology predicts the system to intensify to a Category 4 system in the next 24 hours before the eye of the storm crosses the coast tomorrow.
NASA's Terra satellite has taken images from space of Rusty as it approaches the coast, with satellite data reporting the storm developing an eye 20 nautical miles wide.
At 2pm today, Cyclone Rusty was 135km north-northeast of Port Hedland and 290km northeast of Karratha and
moving south-southwest at 5km/h towards the coast.
However because of the size of the storm, gales are already occurring between the Sandfire Roadhouse and Whim Creek, while destructive winds extend from Port Hedland to Wallal.
Catch up with Channel 9's Sally Ayhan for local weather and a sneak peek into what to expect over the next 24 hours.
The Bureau of Meteorology warns very destructive winds with gusts of more than 165km/h are likely to develop on the coast between Whim Creek and Pardoo tomorrow as Rusty approaches the coast.
Bedout Island, north-east of Hedland, has received a maximum gust of 126km/h today.
PILBARA BATTENS DOWN
While Port Hedland and South Hedland residents have been urged to leave their homes immediately, the shire's deputy mayor, George Daccache, is bunkering down in his security screen-clad home.
A Port Hedland resident of 40 years, Mr Daccache has seen his fair share of wet season wild weather, but expects this cyclone will be one of the worst the town has ever seen.
"If something hits you at 150km/h, you're going to feel it," he said.
RED ALERT: Tropical Cyclone Rusty has intensified to a category three storm with 195km/h winds at its centre and is bearing down on the Pilbara coast. Picture: Geoff Pritchard
"This one's a bit of a beauty.''
With residents heeding warnings to stay safe, the streets are empty, as are supermarket shelves after a rush to prepare for Rusty's arrival.
"It's going to be a pain waiting for two to three days for this to come and go,'' Mr Daccache said.
"We've just to hang in there hour by hour, and batten down the hatches.''
Mr Daccache said he was most concerned about an expected storm tide, which threatens to inundate the lower-lying western part of the town.
Many homes had lost power, but most residents were staying at emergency shelters.
MONSTER: Tropical Cyclone Rusty has intensified to a category three storm with 195km/h winds at its centre.
EMERGENCY MEASURES
The Andrew McLaughlin Community Centre in Keesing Street in Port Hedland has been opened for people who are forced from their homes.
In Port Hedland, shops were being sandbagged as water and tinned food flew off the shelves.
Bottleshops were reporting big queues as locals prepared for Rusty's arrival. Port Hedland's airport was shut at 9pm yesterday, with all commercial flights cancelled.
The port has also shut down for at least the rest of the week.
Mining giant Rio Tinto said it had prepared for the storm by closing the Port Walcott port at Cape Lambert and was finishing up ship-loading at its Dampier ports.
RED ALERT: Tropical Cyclone Rusty has intensified to a category three storm with 195km/h winds at its centre and is bearing down on the Pilbara coast.
Virgin cancelled flights from Perth to Broome today, and local businesses reported people were dashing to buy water and tinned food as the storm approached.
FLOOD WARNINGS
The BOM says TC Rusty's slow movement is likely to result in rainfall that is heavier than that associated with a typical tropical cyclone.
Widespread very heavy rainfall tonight and tomorrow is likely to lead to major flooding in the De Grey catchment, while flooding is also likely in the Fortescue catchment and in Pilbara coastal streams.
TC Rusty's intensity, size and slow movement is also likely to lead to a dangerous storm tide as the cyclone centre nears the coast, which could include damaging waves and dangerous coastal inundation.
WIDESPREAD DOWNPOURS
RED ALERT: Tropical Cyclone Rusty has intensified to a category three storm with 195km/h winds at its centre and is bearing down on the Pilbara coast. Picture: Geoff Pritchard
Pardoo Roadhouse, about 140km east of Port Hedland, has recorded a massive 200mm in 24 hours to 9am today and has also been buffeted by strong winds.
Bidyadanga, north-east of Broome, had 137mm to 9am this morning and stations throughout the Kimberley have recorded in excess of 200mm in recent days.
Pardoo Roadhouse manager Ian Badger told ABC radio it had been raining steadlily since yesterday. He said there had already been minor flooding and about six trees had been blown down.
"Everything is pretty wet, the whole yard is covered with water, it is like a lake everywhere. There is a little bit of water coming in (the roadhouse) and half a dozen trees have already come down,'' he said.
"It is not going to be good, this one.''
CYCLONE WARNING DETAILS
RED ALERT: Tropical Cyclone Rusty has intensified to a category three storm with 195km/h winds at its centre and is bearing down on the Pilbara coast. Picture: Geoff Pritchard
A Cyclone WARNING is current for coastal areas from Bidyadanga to Mardie, and adjacent inland areas of the Pilbara, including Marble Bar, Nullagine and Millstream.
A Cyclone WATCH is current for adjacent inland areas of the Pilbara including Tom Price, Newman and Telfer.
At 2pm WST Severe Tropical Cyclone Rusty, Category 3 was estimated to be:
- 135 kilometres north northeast of Port Hedland and
- 290 kilometres northeast of Karratha and
- moving south southwest at 5 kilometres per hour towards the coast.
DFES State Emergency Service advises of the following community alerts:
RED ALERT: People in or near communities between Pardoo and Whim Creek, including Port Hedland and South Hedland need to go to shelter immediately.
YELLOW ALERT: People in communities between Wallal and Pardoo, need to take action and get ready to shelter from a cyclone.
BLUE ALERT: People in communities between Bidyadanga and Wallal and between Whim Creek and Mardie, including Karratha and extending to adjacent inland areas including Marble Bar, Nullagine and Millstream, need to prepare for cyclonic weather and organise an emergency kit including first aid kit, torch, portable radio, spare batteries, food and water.
NOTE: The State Emergency Service advises that Marble Bar is expected to go to Yellow Alert at 1800 WST.
Details of Severe Tropical Cyclone Rusty at 2pm WST:
Centre located near...... 19.2 degrees South 119.1 degrees East
Location accuracy........ within 35 kilometres
Recent movement.......... towards the south southwest at 5 kilometres per hour
Wind gusts near centre... 195 kilometres per hour and INTENSIFYING
Severity category........ 3
Central pressure......... 957 hectoPascals
SECOND STORM BREWS
Meanwhile, a second potential cyclone was developing to the southeast of the Cocos Islands this morning. It will be named Sandra if it becomes a cyclone, however it is unlikely to affect the Cocos Islands.
Channel 9's Sally Ayhan on what Perth can expect from Cyclone Rusty
More than 830mm of rain has been dumped on the Cocos Islands in the past three days - eclipsing the amount that fell in metropolitan Perth in 2012 by more than 200mm.
The massive tropical cyclone has also dumped huge rainfall on parts of the Kimberley and Cocos Island, which has received more than 800mm of rain in three days - including 416mm in the past 24 hours.
Cyclone Rusty is moving slowly southwards as it threatens to blast the Pilbara coast as it gathers strength.
Cocos Islands has received 830mm of rain in three days, thanks to the combination of Cyclone Rusty and a monsoonal trough.
SCHOOL CLOSURES
Several schools will remain closed for the rest of the week, including:
• Hedland Senior High School
• Port Hedland Primary School
• Port Hedland School of the Air
• Cassia Primary School
• Cassia Education Support Centre
• Baler Primary School
• South Hedland Primary School
• Pilbara Behaviour Centre.
Three other schools have also been closed due to the risk of flooding:
• Yandeyarra Remote Community School (in the Shire of Port Hedland)
• Marble Bar Primary School (in the Shire of East Pilbara)
• Nullagine Primary School (in the Shire of East Pilbara).
