Yellow Alert: Severe Tropical Cyclone Damien

TROPICAL CYCLONE FORECAST TRACK MAP

Severe Tropical Cyclone Damien

Issued at 12:00 pm AWST Friday 7 February 2020. Refer to Tropical Cyclone Advice Number 13.

Headline:

Gales expected on the Pilbara coast this evening or overnight. Destructive winds to commence on the coast during Saturday morning.

Areas affected:

Warning zone: Wallal Downs to Mardie, including Port Hedland, Karratha, Dampier, Pannawonica and Barrow Island.

Watch zone: Mardie to Onslow, and the inland central Pilbara including Paraburdoo, Marble Bar, Nullagine, Tom Price, Newman and Mt Augustus.

Cancelled zones: None.

Details of Severe Tropical Cyclone Damien at 11:00 am AWST:

Intensity: category 3, sustained winds near the centre of 120 kilometres per hour with wind gusts to 165 kilometres per hour.
Location: within 55 kilometres of 17.9 degrees South, 117.2 degrees East , 305 kilometres north northwest of Port Hedland and 315 kilometres north of Karratha .
Movement: west southwest at 8 kilometres per hour .

Severe Tropical Cyclone Damien is now a Category 3 system, and is expected to continue to intensify as it turns towards the coast.

Hazards:

Gales are forecast to develop along the Pilbara coast between Wallal Downs and Mardie including Port Hedland, Karratha and Dampier from as early as Friday evening. DESTRUCTIVE winds with wind gusts to 150 kilometres per hour are likely to develop during Saturday morning as the cyclone approaches the coast.

VERY DESTRUCTIVE winds with gusts to 230 kilometres per hour are expected near the cyclone centre as it crosses the coast on Saturday.
If the cyclone tracks further to the west then gales may develop during Saturday between Mardie and Onslow.

Residents between Dampier and Pardoo Roadhouse, including Dampier, Karratha and Port Hedland, are warned of the potential of a VERY 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 VERY DANGEROUS FLOODING.

Heavy rain is likely to cause flooding in the Pilbara and Gascoyne as the cyclone moves inland over the weekend. Refer to Flood Watch at: http://www.bom.gov.au/wa/warnings/.

Recommended Action:

DFES advises of the following community alerts:
YELLOW ALERT for people in or near Port Hedland to Mardie and south to Millstream (including the Town of Port Hedland, Whim Creek, Point Samson, Wickham, Roebourne, Karratha, Dampier and Barrow Island) need to prepare for cyclonic weather and move to shelter.

BLUE ALERT for people in or near Wallal Downs to Port Hedland and Mardie to Onslow but not including Onslow, (including the towns of Pannawonica, Tom Price, Paraburdoo, Nullagine and Marble Bar) need to prepare for cyclonic weather and organise an emergency kit including first aid kit, torch, portable radio, spare batteries, food and water.

People needing SES assistance can call 132 500. In a life threatening situation call 000. For more safety tips visit www.emergency.wa.gov.au