Source: Bureau of Meteorology

Issued at 11:59 am WST on Saturday 7 February 2026

Headline:
Tropical Cyclone Mitchell (21U), is forecast to reach severe category 3 cyclone as it passes just north of Karratha later today and then along the west Pilbara coast on Sunday.

Areas Affected:
Warning zone: De Grey to Ningaloo, including Port Hedland, Karratha, Onslow, and Exmouth, and extending inland through the western Pilbara to include Pannawonica.

Watch zone: Ningaloo to Carnarvon and adjacent inland areas.

Cancelled zone: None.

Details of Tropical Cyclone Mitchell 21U at 11:00 am AWST:
Intensity: Category 2, sustained winds near the centre of 110 kilometres per hour with wind gusts to 130 kilometres per hour.
Location: within 35 kilometres of 19.2 degrees South 118.0 degrees East, estimated to be 140 kilometres north northwest of Port Hedland and 210 kilometres northeast of Karratha.
Movement: west southwest at 17 kilometres per hour.

Tropical Cyclone Mitchell (21U) is intensifying to the north of Port Hedland and is forecast to reach category 3 later today. Further intensification is possible tonight.

Mitchell is forecast to move to the southwest closer to the Pilbara coast this afternoon, and track close to the west Pilbara coast during Sunday before taking a more southerly track over land during Monday.

Hazards:
VERY DESTRUCTIVE WIND GUSTS to 205 km/h are possible over the coastal parts of the Pilbara around Karratha, Dampier and Wickham overnight, extending to Onslow during Sunday as the destructive core of Mitchell moves along the coast.

DESTRUCTIVE WIND GUSTS to 160 km/h are forecast around Karratha, Dampier and Wickham from as early as this evening, extending west towards Onslow during Sunday and possibly Exmouth Sunday night.

GALES with DAMAGING WIND GUSTS to 125 km/h are possible along the coastal parts between De Grey and Dampier during Saturday afternoon, extending west to Onslow and Exmouth and through inland parts of the western Pilbara, including Pannawonica, from early Sunday morning.

Widespread moderate to HEAVY RAINFALL which may lead to FLASH FLOODING is likely from later today with this risk persisting through the weekend for the central and west Pilbara coast, extending to the west Gascoyne region on Monday. Local areas of INTENSE rainfall leading to SEVERE FLASH FLOODING may develop around the central Pilbara coast west of Wickham overnight and Sunday morning.

ABNORMALLY HIGH TIDES could cause SERIOUS FLOODING in the Karratha region early Sunday morning, and then in the Onslow region on the Sunday afternoon.

Elsewhere on the west Pilbara coast including Exmouth, tides are likely to rise above the normal high tide mark on Saturday and Sunday which may produce FLOODING of low-lying coastal areas.

Recommended Action:
Ensure you know what to do in a cyclone. For the latest DFES community alerts and warnings visit www.emergency.wa.gov.au or download the Emergency WA app.


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