Source: Bureau of Meteorology

Issued at 9:00 pm WST on Tuesday 24 March 2026

Headline:
Ex-Tropical Cyclone Narelle expected to redevelop into a tropical cyclone Wednesday morning and move roughly parallel to the Pilbara coast on Wednesday and Thursday.

Areas Affected:
Warning Zone
South of Beagle Bay to Kuri Bay, and Dampier to Bidyadanga, including Dampier, Karratha and Port Hedland.

Watch Zone
Coral Bay to Dampier, including Exmouth and Onslow.

Cancelled Zone
None.

Details of Ex-Tropical Cyclone Narelle 34U at 8:00 pm AWST:
Intensity: Tropical Low, sustained winds near the centre of 65 kilometres per hour with wind gusts to 85 kilometres per hour.

Location: within 35 kilometres of 16.3 degrees South 122.8 degrees East, estimated to be 195 kilometres north northeast of Broome and 630 kilometres northeast of Port Hedland.

Movement: southwest at 18 kilometres per hour.

Ex-Tropical Cyclone Narelle has moved offshore of the west Kimberley coast and forecast to redevelop into a tropical cyclone early Wednesday morning.

Narelle will continue moving to the west southwest, roughly parallel to the Pilbara coast during Wednesday and Thursday, and is forecast to reach severe (category 3) intensity Wednesday night. While Narelle is over waters to the north of the Pilbara during Wednesday and Thursday, gales may extend to the Pilbara coast during this time.

Later Thursday and Friday the system is expected to take a turn to the south, close to the North West Cape and impacts may extend further inland of the western Pilbara and along the Ningaloo coast. Narelle will then move to the southeast, towards the WA west coast later Friday and Saturday, with impacts extending along the Gascoyne coast and expected as far south as the Lower West on the weekend.

Hazards:
GALES with DAMAGING WIND GUSTS to 90 km/h are possible along the coast between Cockatoo Island and Kuri Bay and extend to south of Beagle Bay overnight before gradually easing during Wednesday morning, as the system moves further away from the west Kimberley coast. A severe weather warning for damaging wind gusts with showers is in place over remaining parts of far west Kimberley.

GALES with DAMAGING WIND GUSTS to 100 km/h may develop along the coast between Bidyadanga and De Grey during Wednesday morning. Gales are forecast to extend further west along the Pilbara coast to Port Hedland and Karratha later Wednesday. GALES with DAMAGING WIND GUSTS to 120 km/h may develop west to Exmouth Thursday afternoon extend further south to Coral Bay during the evening.

DESTRUCTIVE WIND GUSTS to 140 km/h may develop about the North West Cape, including Exmouth and Coral Bay Thursday night. These winds may extend east to Karratha if the system takes a track further south on Thursday.

Isolated HEAVY RAINFALL which may lead to FLASH FLOODING may occur across parts of the north and west Kimberley overnight and during Wednesday.

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

Recommended Action:
DFES advises:

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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