Supermarkets and schools have been closed and residents warned to prepare for the worst as severe Tropical Cyclone Zelia barrels towards the Western Australia coast.
The cyclone has developed into an intense category five system and is expected to make landfall on the Pilbara coast tomorrow, the Bureau of Meteorology said today.
Zelia is forecast to bring extremely destructive winds and intense rainfall which will likely lead to flash flooding.
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"Category five cyclones have wind gusts exceeding 280km/h, we could expect to see wind speeds of this magnitude at the core," WA Bureau of Meteorology manager James Ashley said.
"This is a very dangerous system that will cause significant impact."
A dangerous storm surge is also expected to hit when Zelia makes landfall tomorrow, persisting into Saturday.
WA Department of Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Klemm said Zelia is expected to trigger dangerous flash flooding across impacted regions including Karratha, Port Hedland and Dampier.
Major retail shops and 12 schools are shut, along with regional airports.
Several roads have also been closed in preparation for flooding.
"Impacts to secondary and unsealed roads are expected, which will result in some communities being isolated," Klemm said.
"DFES will undertake resupply missions after the cyclone makes landfall."
Klemm warned residents to prepare for wild weather, to take shelter or evacuate if necessary and to keep across alerts.
Less than an hour ago, 40,000 messages were sent to residents following an upgrade of the watch and act alert.
One evacuation centre has been opened in South Hedland and a second is being prepared in Karratha.
Klemm said DFES has secured aircraft and extra flood boats in preparation for emergency evacuations.
There are 50 mobilised incident management teams in place to prepare for Zelia.
The Bureau of Meteorology earlier today warned Zelia was "rapidly intensifying" as it moved west, just off the Pilbara coast, after reaching category four overnight.
There is a cyclone "watch and act" alert in place for residents in Bidyadanga to Dampier, including Port Hedland, Karratha and Dampier, and extending inland to Marble Bar.
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Those living between Karratha and Bidyadanga, including Port Hedland, have been warned to watch for a dangerous storm tide as the cyclone rolls towards the coast.
Senior meteorologist Dean Narramore said Zelia was a "very organised" and "very intense" tropical cyclone and already well on its way to reach the WA coast.
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Damaging wind gusts reaching 290km/h and more than 500mm of rain are forecast for communities across the Pilbara coast from tonight, with the wild weather set to intensify tomorrow.
"Currently, a category four system has rapidly intensified overnight and likely to become a category five system later today," Narramore said.
"We're already seeing falls of 80 to 90mm around Port Hedland and even isolated falls in excess of 100, and we're likely to see many more millimeters on top of that."
The destructive inner core of the cyclone is expected to cross the coast between Whim Creek and DeGrey, reaching Port Hedland, tomorrow afternoon and evening.
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Tropical Cyclone Zelia is now about 140km north-west of Port Hedland and 240km north-east of Karratha.
An extra 40 emergency services personnel have been deployed to the Pilbara region as well as five flood boats with 10 crews, and four additional aircraft are on standby, including a rescue chopper with a winch.
Residents near the DeGrey river catchment and around the Shaw and Pilbara rivers have been warned to be on alert for flash flooding.
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