Source: Bureau of Meteorology

TROPICAL CYCLONE ADVICE NUMBER 64
Issued at 8:42 pm WST on Wednesday 25 March 2026

Headline:
Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle remains at category 3 strength. Potential severe impacts for the west Pilbara and Gascoyne coasts.

Areas Affected:
Warning Zone
Pardoo Roadhouse to Cape Cuvier, including Port Hedland, Karratha, Onslow, Exmouth, and Coral Bay, and extending inland to Pannawonica.

Watch Zone
South of Cape Cuvier to Dongara, including Carnarvon, Denham, and Geraldton, extending inland to Gascoyne Junction, Murchison, and Yalgoo.

Cancelled Zone
Sandfire to east of Pardoo Roadhouse.

Details of Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle 34U at 8:00 pm AWST:
Intensity: Category 3, sustained winds near the centre of 120 kilometres per hour with wind gusts to 165 kilometres per hour.

Location: within 35 kilometres of 18.0 degrees South 118.0 degrees East, estimated to be 265 kilometres north northwest of Port Hedland and 325 kilometres north northeast of Karratha.

Movement: west southwest at 22 kilometres per hour.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle is a category 3 tropical cyclone and is expected to continue to strengthen.

Narelle is moving west southwest, roughly parallel to the Pilbara coast. Narelle is larger than usual and although the cyclone is located well north of the Pilbara, gales are likely to extend to the coast tonight.

On Friday, Narelle will turn towards the south, likely passing close to the North West Cape as a category 4 cyclone.

There is the potential for a severe impact on the far western Pilbara coast from late Thursday, extending south to Denham during Friday.

On Saturday Narelle is expected to be weakening as it moves quickly to the south southeast with impacts extending to the Central West and then further inland and south across the South West Land Division.

Hazards:
VERY DESTRUCTIVE WIND GUSTS up to 260 km/h may develop west of Onslow later on Thursday as Narelle moves closer to the North West Cape, and possibly extend south to Carnarvon during Friday. Wind gusts to 195 km/h may extend south to Denham later Friday.

DESTRUCTIVE WIND GUSTS in excess of 125 km/h may develop on the Pilbara coast near Karratha early Thursday, extending west to Exmouth during Thursday, and south to Carnarvon and then to Denham and the Overlander Roadhouse during Friday.

GALES with DAMAGING WIND GUSTS to 100 km/h are possible between Pardoo Roadhouse and Port Hedland, extending west to Dampier tonight. GALES with DAMAGING WIND GUSTS to 120 km/h may develop west to Exmouth during Thursday and extend further south to Kalbarri and inland to the Murchison Roadhouse during Friday, and to Geraldton early Saturday.

Coastal residents between Onslow and Denham are specifically warned of a DANGEROUS STORM TIDE as the cyclone moves south down the Gascoyne coast. Tides are likely to rise significantly above the normal high tide, with DAMAGING WAVES and DANGEROUS FLOODING.

Tides will be higher than normal between Port Hedland and Onslow. LARGE WAVES may produce MINOR FLOODING of low-lying coastal areas.

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