Sunrise slammed for showing coverage of cyclone two years ago during segment on Cyclone Ilsa
Viewers of Sunrise are ‘disgusted’ after it used old footage of the cyclone during the show’s coverage of Western Australia’s wild weather
- Sunrise showed images of Cyclone Seroja in 2021
- Footage played during coverage of the current Cyclone Ilsa
- Viewers called the action ‘misleading’
Sunrise viewers let go of the program after it broadcast footage of a cyclone from two years ago as they discussed Western Australia’s current severe weather.
Channel Seven’s presenter Matt Shirvington spoke to Bureau of Meteorology Dean Narramore and Port Hedland Mayor Peter Carter on Friday morning after Tropical Cyclone Ilsa crossed the northwest coast of WA.
But instead of showing current footage of cyclone-affected areas, Sunrise played footage of Cyclone Seroja’s aftermath.
That cyclone caused major devastation in the Midwest of the state in 2021, including the cities of Kalbarri and Northampton.
Channel Seven presenter Matt Shirvington (centre) spoke to Dean Narramore (left) of the Bureau of Meteorology and Port Hedland Mayor Peter Carter (right) on Friday morning after Tropical Cyclone Ilsa hit the northwest coast of WA crossed
The footage showed several homes completely destroyed by the 2021 cyclone, which wiped out about 2,270 properties in 40 cities.
Viewers quickly called out the breakfast show, accusing it of misleading those in the impact zone.
‘Is this footage of damaged houses that Ilsa caused? If not, don’t be misleading and show it. (The) city is still on Red Alert and under lockdown,” one woman said on Facebook.
“Why did you do damage to Kalbarri with the cyclone that passed through there a few years ago? “Very misleading and dangerous to show this while Port Hedland was still on red alert,” another commented.
One man said Port Hedland was essentially unaffected by the cyclone and said the wind wasn’t enough to move his dog’s Frisbee.
“Why can’t they be happy and say nothing bad happened,” said another. “It’s disgusting how desperately they look for misery.”
A spokesperson for Seven told Daily Mail Australia that the clip had been shown at the wrong time.
“There was a question in the segment about the dangers of such a high wind speed and what it could do. A production error caused the clip to run at the wrong time,” they said.
“It’s been removed from online.”
It was still dark in Perth at the time of the cross.
But instead of showing current footage of areas affected by the cyclone, Sunrise played footage of the aftermath of Cyclone Seroja, which hit in 2021
Cyclone Ilsa struck the state’s northwest coast around midnight Thursday as a Category Five system between De Gray and Pardoo, with winds of 133 mph.
Record-breaking gusts of nearly 300 km/h were recorded on Bedout Island, off the east coast of Pilbara as the cyclone made landfall.
On Friday morning, it was classified as a Category Three system and was expected to maintain cyclone intensity through the night as it moved hundreds of miles inland toward Telfer and Kunawarritji.
The cyclone is expected to weaken Friday night as it moves into southern parts of the Northern Territory.
In the regional center of Port Hedland, west of the storm’s center, locals sheltered indoors under a red alert until the threat passed.
The famous Pardoo Roadhouse and Tavern, 150 km north of Port Hedland, is in the direct line of fire and suffered extensive damage early on.