Source: Bureau of Meteorology

Issued at 5:43 am WST on Friday 14 February 2025

Headline:
Severe Tropical Cyclone Zelia moving towards Port Hedland.

Areas Affected:
Warning Zone
Wallal Downs to Dampier, including Port Hedland, Karratha and Dampier, and extending inland to Marble Bar, Millstream, Nullagine, Tom Price and Paraburdoo.

Watch Zone
None.

Cancelled Zone
Dampier to Mardie, and inland areas to Pannawonica.

Details of Severe Tropical Cyclone Zelia 18U at 5:00 am AWST:
Intensity: Category 5, sustained winds near the centre of 205 kilometres per hour with wind gusts to 285 kilometres per hour.

Location: within 20 kilometres of 19.4 degrees South 118.5 degrees East, estimated to be 100 kilometres north of Port Hedland and 225 kilometres northeast of Karratha.

Movement: east southeast at 6 kilometres per hour.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Zelia (category 5) is to the north of Port Hedland and has started moving south towards the Pilbara coast. The very destructive inner core of the cyclone will cross the coast between De Grey and Whim Creek, most likely during Friday afternoon. Heavy rainfall is expected on the coast during Friday. Rainfall will become intense near and to the east of the centre of the cyclone as it crosses the coast.

Hazards:
VERY DESTRUCTIVE WIND GUSTS of up to 320 kilometres per hour are likely close to the centre of the cyclone as it crosses the coast.

DESTRUCTIVE WIND GUSTS of up to 160 kilometres per hour are likely to develop in coastal areas between De Grey to Whim Creek, including Port Hedland, during Friday morning as Zelia moves closer to the coast.

Gales with DAMAGING WIND GUSTS to 120 kilometres per hour are occurring near the coastal fringe between De Grey and Whim Creek, including Port Hedland. Gales may extend to other areas along the coast between Wallal Downs and Dampier, including Karratha, during Friday morning. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS to 120 kilometres per hour may also extend to inland areas, possibly including Nullagine, or Tom Price and Paraburdoo, from early Saturday.

HEAVY to LOCALLY INTENSE RAINFALL which may lead to FLASH FLOODING is likely during Friday across coastal and adjacent inland areas between Wallal Downs and Karratha, extending inland to Nullagine and Tom Price by early Saturday. A Flood Watches and Warnings are also current for catchments in the Pilbara, western Kimberley and northern Gascoyne. Go to www.bom.gov.au/wa/warnings for further details.

Residents between Wallal Downs and Wickham including Port Hedland are specifically warned of the potential of a DANGEROUS STORM TIDE as the cyclone centre crosses the coast. Tides are likely to rise significantly above the normal high tide mark with damaging waves and dangerous flooding of some low-lying areas close to the shoreline.

Current Tropical Cyclones