Cyclone Zelia made landfall in northwestern WA on Friday as one of the strongest storms in Australia’s history

One of the biggest cyclones in years is expected to bring up to 500mm of rain over the weekend, after crossing the WA coastline on Friday as a category 5. Tropical Cyclone Zelia crossed the coast to the northeast of Port Hedland around 12.30pm AWST on Friday, the Bureau of Meteorology said. It made landfall near the De Grey River mouth at category four intensity and has since been downgraded to category three. Zelia will now take a general southerly track overland and weaken, but authorities are warning that the danger is far from over. Though Port Hedland was somewhat spared from the mammoth impact predicted earlier, shelter warnings still remain in place for Pardoo to east of Whim Creek, and inland to west of Marble Bar. Intense rainfall is expected near and to the east of the centre of the cyclone. It is expected to bring more than more than 200mm and 300mm expected over the next 24 hours and subsequent flash flooding across the Pilbara region. Up to 500mm could fall over the next three days. AUTHORITIES PREPARE AND RESPOND “This is a very dangerous system that will cause significant impact and are causing impacts as we speak,” Matthew Collopy from the BOM said. WA emergency services commissioner Darren Klemm said there was some relief the cyclone had crossed where it did, with the major centre of Port Hedland avoiding the worst of Zelia’s impact. “Certainly the cyclone where it is crossing the coast now east of Port Hedland is a better result than what it would have been or what we thought it would have been very four hours ago,” Mr Klemm said. “With Cyclone Zelia crossing the coast, our emergency service focus shifts to dealing with the impact of the destructive weather from the system.” Mr Klemm said the conditions posed a “significant threat to lives and property” and urged residents to follow all directions from authorities. “We have significantly increased our resources in the past 24 hours in preparation,” he added. The state’s Department of Justice has flown in extra staff to assist at Roebourne Regional Prison, with Cyclone Zelia affecting the area, the ABCreports. “Our staff stand ready to support the community and maintain public safety during the emergency and the recovery effort,” it said. A man claimed he was left with a metallic taste in his mouth after lightning struck the ground near where he was standing as Cyclone Zelia inches closer to the WA coast. CHAOTIC SCENES Earlier, a local content creator has captured scenes of ferocious weather in the lead-up to, which is set to lash the Pilbara region hours earlier than expected. Snaga Barra, who runs a fishing YouTube channel, is based in Wyndham, the northernmost town in Western Australia’s Kimberley Region. His Instagram video, uploaded on Thursday, shows chaotic scenes as Tropical Cyclone Zelia nears the coast. Later in the video, he claims to be left with a metallic taste in his mouth after lightning strikes the ground near where he is standing. ‘INTENSE’ IMPACT OF CLIMATE Before it made landfall, Cylcone Zelia jumped from a category 3 to a category 5 within 24 hours. Climate Council’s David Karoly said changes in the climate meant cyclones “get ugly more quickly”. “A warming planet means there are actually fewer cyclones forming but when they hit they’re more intense,” Professor Karoly said. “The storm surges are much worse, the amounts of rain are much greater and the strength of winds are sometimes worse.” In the case of Cyclone Zelia, once the system makes contact with the coastline, wind gusts of 300km/h are expected at the crossing point. “It’s hard to fathom how strong that is, but it can take out trees, power lines and completely destroy properties and houses,” Mr Hines said. “We won’t see winds that strong across other parts of the Pilbara, but 100km to 150km hour gusts are possible,” Mr Hines said. It was too late on Friday to leave for residents in Pardoo Roadhouse to Whim Creek and inland to west of Marble Bar, according to Emergency WA. Those west of Whim Creek to Karratha and Dampier, inland to Tom Price, north to Eighty Mile Beach, and east of Pardoo Roadhouse are being urged to put their cyclone plans into action. The bureau has listed areas from Wallal Downs to Dampier as a warning zone – this includes Port Hedland, Karratha and Dampier and has been extended inland through Marble Bar, Tom Price and down towards Newman. ‘BIG, STRONG UNPREDICTABLE’ WA Premier Roger Cook said the cyclone was “going to be a big one”. “It’s big, it’s strong and it’s very unpredictable. People in Pilbara need to be prepared, and they need to be prepared now,” he said. There are two evacuation centres open, one in Port Hedland and the other in Karratha. About a dozen schools have been closed in the state’s north, with numerous road and highway closures in place. “Today is going to be a very significant day as it approaches and likely crosses the Pilbara coast,” Mr Hines said. Major banks have come out in support of local residents and businesses affected by the emergency. “We are thinking of everyone affected by Tropical Cyclone Zelia across the Pilbara region of Western Australia,” Commonwealth Bank Australia senior executive Angus Sullivan said. “We are making a range of measures available, tailored to the needs of our customers.”