Cyclone Narelle live: Category 4 storm steamrolls along Pilbara coast, flights cancelled, towns batten down

BOM released a severe weather warning at 6.11pm stating that damaging winds are possible tonight in north west WA with showers and thunderstorms around Cyclone Narelle.

The statement claimed fast moving rainbands on the far eastern flank of the system are likely to produce damaging gusts over the central Pilbara tonight.

Damagaging wind gusts peaking around 100 km per hour are possible west of Port Hedland this evening associated with bands of showers and thunderstorms around the system.

BOM shared a new Cyclone Forecast Track map at 6pm, confirming that the system is moving south west across WA.

BOM confirmed that the cyclone is currently impacting the west Pilbara coast with severe impacts expected along the Gascoyne coast later tonight.

The warning zone is unchanged from the 5pm update: the included areas are Whim Creek to Northampton, including Karratha, Onslow, Exmouth, Coral Bay, Carnarvon and Denham, and extending inland to Pannawonica and Murchison.

Cyclone Narelle is moving southwest at 18 km per hour.

Perth Weather Live has shared a new satellite photograph of Cyclone Narelle approaching the WA coast.

In the latest New Worthy episode, Ben O’Shea spoke to Professor Stephen Turton and asked if the cyclone is likely to reach Perth.

“It could get to Perth but it won’t be as a tropical cyclone,” Professor Turton said.

“But that doesn’t mean they’re not in for some pretty wild weather ... they’re talking up to about 100mm falling (in Perth) and some of that could be in short bursts which could lead to flash flooding.”

Listen to the full episode ​here.​

Here’s an update on all you need to know about severe tropical cyclone Narelle this evening:

• 📍200 kmwest northwest of Karratha and 260 km north northeast of Exmouth
• 🧭 Moving west-southwest at 18km/h
• 🌀 Currently a category 4 severe tropical cyclone, strengthening

• ➡️ Tracking parallel to the Pilbara coast
• 📆 Friday: Expected to turn south, strengthening as it approaches NW Cape
• 📆 Saturday: Weakening while moving south-southeast, impacting Central West and inland areas

Impact zones

• ⚠️ Severe impacts possible from late Thursday on far western Pilbara coast
• ⬇️ Extending south to Denham by Friday
• 🌧️ Impacts spreading across south west land division by Saturday

Wind threat

• 💥 Up to 275km/h gusts possible between Exmouth and Onslow (Thursday)
• 💨 Up to 220km/h in Carnarvon (Friday)
• 🌬️ Up to 180km/h reaching Denham (late Friday/Saturday)
• ⚠️ 125km/h+ destructive winds possible from Karratha to Exmouth then south

Gales

• 🌊 Up to 120km/h along coast from Port Hedland to Karratha
• ⬇️ Extending to Exmouth, Kalbarri, Geraldton (into Saturday)

Rain & flooding

• 🌧️ Heavy rainfall with risk of flash flooding in Pilbara and Gascoyne

Coastal hazards

• 🌊 Dangerous storm tide between Onslow and Denham
• ⚠️ Damaging waves and coastal flooding likely
• 🌊 Elevated tides and minor flooding from Port Hedland to Onslow

Key warning

• 📱 Monitor Emergency WA/DFES alerts and know your cyclone plan

Carnarvon local and grower Jo Bumbak is worried about the impact of Narelle on fruit supplies.

“Banana crops get a fair bit of damage because any wind, the more mature trees snap off,” she told the ABC.

Ms Bumbak also had bad news for grape and mango supplies.

“Carnarvon won’t be able to supply its usual amount of fresh produce that they supply to the West Australian market,” she said.

“The winter veggies will be set right back.

“If mango trees and grapevines sustain damage, it could wipe out a whole season.”

Pictures are circulating on social media and have been sent in by readers showing the weather conditions on the WA coast.

Emergency WA have confirmed that West of Onslow to Coral Bay is now under a Cyclone Emergency warning.

There is a threat to lives and homes and residents in the affected area are in danger and need to act immediately, saying it is “too late to leave.”

BOM shared an updated cyclone tracking map and fresh cyclone warning advice at 4pm.

The list of WA areas in the warning zone were: Port Hedland to Northampton, including Karratha, Onslow, Exmouth, Coral Bay, Carnarvon and Denham, and extending inland to Pannawonica and Murchison.

Cyclone Narelle is confirmed a category 4 and sustained winds near the centre of 175 kilometres per hour with wind gusts to 250 km per hour.

Hazards included “very destructive wind gusts” of up to 275 km/h may develop between Exmouth and Onslow later this evening as Narelle moves closer to the North West Cape.

A supply chain expert has warned a “perfect storm” is about to hit WA as tropical Cyclone Narelle travels along the northern coastline to deliver a double-whammy to food producers amid the fuel crisis.

Currently a category 4 severe tropical cyclone, cyclone Narelle is tracking along the Pilbara regions coast at about 18km/h, with the Bureau of Meteorology not ruling out the possibility of an upgrade to a category 5.

The storm formed in the Pacific Ocean before hitting northern Queensland last week, moving over to the coast of the Northern Territory and west to the Indian Ocean where it is currently travelling along WA’s coastline.

Curtin University supply chain management and logistics expert associate professor Liz Jackson said the double whammy of the cyclone and fuel crisis will hit WA, and eventually consumers hip pocket, but that only time would tell to what extent.

Read the full story here.