Residents of coastal communities in parts of Western Australia’s north are feeling the full force of Tropical Cyclone Narelle as the system passes close to the coast.
People have been urged to shelter indoors as the category four system moves south about 30 kilometres offshore from Exmouth.
Cyclone Narelle live updates: Get the latest news as the weather system approaches WA.
“There is a threat to lives and homes. You are in danger and need to act immediately,” the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) said this morning.
The latest warning takes in Cape Preston to Jurien Bay, including Onslow, Exmouth, Coral Bay, Carnarvon, Denham and Geraldton, and extending inland to Pannawonica, Murchison and Dalwallinu.
Shire of Exmouth president Matthew Niikkula spoke to ABC News Channel early today when the cyclone was still about 100km away.
“From the sound and the feel of it, we’re probably experiencing, sort of 160-to-180km/h winds at the moment,” he said.
“It’s very, very loud, very, very scary outside and, obviously being dark and so much rain, we can only imagine what’s happening.”
Exmouth Shire President Matthew Niikkula (ABC News: Glyn Jones)
Mr Niikkula said the population has had a week’s notice to prepare and had a sense of what was to come with Cyclone Mitchell a few weeks ago.
“It was enough of an eye opener and a wake up for everyone to say, ‘Well, this one is real. This is going to be nasty’. Everyone has been very diligent over the last couple of days,” he said.
Exmouth local Karley Lillycrapp said she was waiting out the cyclone at a friend’s house with her two young children.Â
“It’s pretty scary,” she said.
“Even though there’s roller shutters on every window, you can keep hearing things from outside flying into the windows.
“[There is] a lot of banging.
“I can hear things outside just flying around and there’s actually banging on the roof as well.”
She said she had heard of damage in the town already.
“One of my friends, they live near the marina. They’ve had one of their sheds fly off,” she said.
“Another friend had their car fully submerged by the water.”
Heavy rainfall in Exmouth as a result of Cyclone Narelle passing the coast. (ABC News: Aran Hart)
Cyclone’s impact on large parts of WA
Cyclone Narelle, which formed off Queensland more than a week ago before sweeping across northern Australia, maintained category four strength overnight, packing wind speeds of up 260km/h as it barrelled towards tourist centre Exmouth.
Exmouth residents looking over the ocean as Tropical Cyclone Narelle approaches on Thursday afternoon (ABC News: Bridget McArthur)
It is expected to be downgraded to category three this afternoon as it continues south-east, making landfall near Coral Bay.
While Perth was unlikely to be directly impacted, it could have heavy rainfall of up to 100 millimetres in a 24-hour period today and tomorrow, the Bureau of Meteorology said.
Flights to the Pilbara have been cancelled, around 50 schools are closed, as are national parks and some major highways, and late yesterday oil and gas giant Chevron said it was experiencing outages at its flagship gas facilities, Gorgon and Wheatstone.
Operations at Chevron’s Wheatstone gas plant, west of Onslow, ground ot a halt on Thursday as a result of Cyclone Narelle. (Supplied: Wheatstone)
The company said LNG and domestic gas production at Wheatstone near Onslow had been suspended, while one of its three LNG production trains at Gorgon on Barrow Island had also ground to a halt.
“We will resume full production at both facilities once it is safe to do so,” a spokesman said.
Carnarvon still calm
Carnarvon Shire President Eddie Smith said on Friday morning there was only a light breeze in the town.
He said the whole community has been busy preparing for Cyclone Narelle, which is expected to reach the area later today.
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“We’ve had to build a levee bank near the portion of South Carnarvon because they’re forecasting a 2.5 metre storm surge at high tide,” he said.
Mr Smith urged everyone to stay inside until the system passed.
“Don’t come out until it’s really over,” he said.
Looking after pets in cyclone
GG Wildlife Rescue manager Michelle Jones is based in Jurien Bay and gathered a large group of animals to shelter in her home before the cyclone passed.
After Cyclone Seroja in 2021, Ms Jones is not taking any chances with the animals on her property.
Wildlife rescuer Michelle Jones says anyone with animals should put them inside. (ABC Midwest and Wheatbelt: Bridget Herrmann)
“All the birds have been under duress, been moving them out of their enclosures into little carries that I can safely bring them inside,” she said.
“Cyclone Seroja actually moved an 8-metre by 4-metre tied-down enclosure a few years ago.”
Ms Jones said she had moved about 50 different animals, from lizards and snakes and birds, into her spare room.
Her advice for people with pets at home during a severe weather event was to put them inside.
“Especially cats that are outside cats, and put them in a carrier,” Ms Jones said.
“Don’t wait until last minute because we don’t want you out travelling. Animals can feel things and they can feel our anxiety, these animals are going to feel it just as much as us.”
Locals in Shark Bay spent Thursday sandbagging their properties ahead of Cyclone Narelle. (Supplied: Shane Thompson)