West Australia bracing for destructive cyclone Ilsa category 5 storm with winds up to 280km/h

Parts of Western Australia should brace for the arrival of Tropical Cyclone Ilsa amid the potential for it to develop into a Category 5 storm in the coming days.

Communities along the Kimberley coast have been urged to begin preparations and monitor conditions and warnings, with a tropical cyclone watch from Cape Leveque to Broome.

According to senior meteorologist Todd Smith of the Bureau of Meteorology, the low system is expected to form into a cyclone tonight before moving closer to land later in the week.

“There is a high probability that the cyclone will reach severe cyclone intensity before crossing the coast,” he told reporters.

“We expect the system to cross the coast somewhere between Broome and Port Hedland later Thursday or early Friday.”

The low system is expected to turn into a cyclone overnight before moving closer to land later in the week

Residents should be on high alert for the effects of the cyclone, with areas close to the system receiving more than 200mm of rain per day.

“Depending on where that system crosses the coast, the impact is likely to be disruptive gusts near the center of the system and we will see abnormally high tides and large waves in coastal areas, particularly east of where the system crosses the coast. .

“We will also see heavy rainfall that could lead to localized flash flooding as it moves inland.

Fire Commissioner Darren Klemm said there was “no excuse for not being prepared.”

“It will be a severe tropical cyclone, definitely a Cat 3 and a potential to be higher than that,” he said.

The Jetty Seafood Shack in Kalbarri, WA was hit by Cyclone Seroja on Sunday, April 11, 2021

“It’s been 10 years since a cyclone larger than a Cat 3 has passed through this area, so people in those communities need to make sure they’re prepared.”

Mr Klemm urged residents to visit the Emergency WA website for instructions on what to do, including having a battery-operated AM radio for emergency alerts, enough food for your family for three to four days and clean up around your house before the storm hits.

Aerial meteorologist Rob Sharpe said once the cyclone moved inland it would move over the coastal area between Port Hedland and Broome.

“The tropical low turns into a tropical cyclone and moves parallel to the WA coastline for the next few days until about Thursday,” Mr Sharpe said.

“Until Tuesday and Wednesday… that system could undergo rapid intensification.

“If it does, it could become a Category Five tropical cyclone — that’s the highest category.”

Category five systems can generate wind gusts of up to 280 km/h and cause widespread devastation.

“It is very likely to make landfall in the sparsely populated coast from Port Hedland to Broome, so the town of Bidyadanga is most at risk,” Sharpe said.

“It will likely be in the line of fire for significant weather events.”

At this stage, the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) predicted a Category One system on Monday night, which will intensify to Category Four by the end of Wednesday when it turns toward the Pilbara coast.

Tropical Cyclone Ilsa could become a Category 5 tropical cyclone, the highest category

BOM cyclone advisory is current for communities between Cape Leveque and Broome, with the exception of Broome.

Just after 9am on Sunday, Western Australia’s Department of Fire and Emergency Services issued a blue alert between the Kimberley communities of Kalumburu and Kuri Bay, and later beyond Mitchell Plateau.

The blue alert signals residents to prepare for hazardous weather, despite there being no immediate threat.

Mr Sharpe has predicted very destructive winds in excess of 200 km/h in the coming days, which could cause significant structural damage and widespread power outages.

The Kimberley region is still recovering from severe flooding in January, which destroyed homes and cut off key transportation routes to many communities.