Evacuations underway as Category 4 Cyclone Ilsa nears northwest Australia
Ilsa reached Category 4 intensity on Thursday over the Indian Ocean and is expected to be the first storm on that scale to cross the Pilbara coast of Western Australia state in a decade.
FILE -Cyclones are common along the sparsely populated Pilbara coast and fatalities are rare, but authorities fear that Cyclone Ilsa’s extraordinary wind speeds could take some in its path by surprise.
A severe tropical cyclone lashed the northwest Australian coast with strengthening winds and increasing rain as authorities warned the population to prepare for destructive gusts of up to 275 kph (170 mph).
Cyclones are common along the sparsely populated Pilbara coast and fatalities are rare, but authorities fear that Cyclone Ilsa’s extraordinary wind speeds could take some in its path by surprise.
Ilsa reached Category 4 intensity on Thursday over the Indian Ocean and is expected to be the first storm on that scale to cross the Pilbara coast of Western Australia state in a decade, Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology said.
Forecasters predict the storm could bring gusts of up to 270 kilometres per hour (167 miles), making it one of the most powerful cyclones to hit the state in a decade.
The cyclone was expected to make landfall on Thursday evening or Friday morning, landing somewhere between the coastal towns of Broome and Port Hedland - about 17 hours' drive north of Perth.
It is forecast to then move inland, with weather warnings in place for a vast but sparsely-populated expanse stretching some 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) from the coast into the desert Outback.
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Tropical Cyclone Ilsa strengthening as it approaches Australia. pic.twitter.com/mdoHdZzAvz
— CIRA (@CIRA_CSU) April 12, 2023
The region is home to iron ore mines, gold mines, sprawling cattle ranches, and several Aboriginal communities.
The Bureau of Meteorology said the winds would be strong enough to tear down trees and powerlines and could launch "caravans" and "trampolines".
Flash flooding was also a risk, the weather bureau said.
The state's Department of Fire and Emergency Services said it "cannot stress enough how extreme these conditions will be for those in the area".
Peter Carter, the mayor of Port Hedland, said the destructive winds could turn flying pieces of debris into "missiles in the air".
"That's what causes all the damage, that is what injures people," he told national broadcaster ABC. "Everyone is on edge," he added.
Australian researchers have repeatedly warned that climate change amplifies the risk of natural disasters such as bushfires, floods, and cyclones.
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