Cyclone Zelia declared category five with 290km/h winds forecast

Tropical Cyclone Zelia has been declared a category five system and is expected to make landfall on Friday afternoon, with winds up to 290km/h possible.

Western Australian residents are being warned a category 5 system off the the Pilbara coast could cause “significant threat to lives and property” in the next 24 hours.

Tropical Cyclone Zelia is forecast to “bring very destructive winds and very heavy rain to the Pilbara coast”, the Bureau of Meteorology said on Thursday afternoon.

WA emergency services commissioner Darren Klemm has warned residents to follow all directions from authorities as conditions worsen.

“The intensity of tropical cyclone Zelia means there is significant threat to lives and property and I urge people to follow the directions of emergency services in the Pilbara,” he said.

“We have significantly increased our resources in the past 24 hours in preparation for the destructive winds and heavy rainfall.”

Tropical Cyclone Zelia has been declared a category five system and is expected to make landfall on Friday afternoon, with winds up to 290km/h possible. Picture: BOM

Mr Klemm said Zelia was located about 145km north north-west of Port Hedland and 225km north-east of Karratha about 11am on Thursday.

He said authorities expect the category 5 tropical cyclone to cross the Pilbara Coast between Dampier and the Grey, with Karratha and Port Hedland “both at risk of direct impact”.

It’s expected the system will cross the coast late Friday.

Mr Klemm said resources were arriving into WA from interstate to ensure the best protection for residents is provided.

“This particular cyclone has been particularly problematic for us because of the uncertainty of where it will cross the coast and that drives than the location of our resourcing,” he said.

“But our request for an helicopter for the national fleet to provide evacuation every supplier capability has been approved and it is expected to arrive in the Pilbara from NSW on Saturday.”

Severe Tropical #CycloneZelia, now category 5, to bring very destructive winds and very heavy rain to the Pilbara coast.

Latest: https://t.co/4KFWWiahr3pic.twitter.com/gaILxL9Wye

— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) February 13, 2025

An evacuation centre is open at the youth and community hub in South Hedland.

Mr Klemm said a second evacuation centre would be announced shortly.

Great Northern Highway was now closed between Port Hedland and Broome and between Port Hedland and the Roadhouse.

The northwestern Coastal Highway was also closed between Woburn and Port Hedland.

Mr Klemm said the next 24 hours would be crucial for WA.

“I am particularly concerned about Port Hedland ... if the (cyclone’s) track was to shift more to the east and we would see a significant impact on Port Hedland,” he said.

“The housing stock and the building stock in Port Hedland is a bit older than what it is in the other communities.

“I urge people in Port Hedland to keep an eye on the track, that is important, the evacuation centres there if you’re not comfortable with where you are then you should leave.”

Zelia was a category three system around 130km to the north of Port Hedland at 6pm on Wednesday (AWST) and was moving “very slowly” to the west and southwest.

The Bureau has issued a cyclone warning from Bidyadanga to Dampier, including Port Hedland, Karratha and Dampier, and extending inland to Marble Bar.

Residents in these areas have been warned to expect increasing winds on Thursday afternoon moving into the night.

“We could see damaging to destructive winds developing by the coast tonight and to the early hours of tomorrow, particularly between Wind Creek and Wallal Downs, including Port Hedland,” senior meteorologist Dean Narramore said.

“We could also see very destructive winds near the core of this system as it crosses late Friday into (the) night with winds up to 290 km/h possible.”

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services issued a cyclone advice alert just after 4pm (AWST) on Wednesday, warning residents south of Bidyadanga to Mardie and inland to Nullagine, as well as islands off the West Kimberley and Pilbara coast to prepare for dangerous weather.

Main Roads WA have already announced sections of the Great Northern Highway, Marble Bar Rd and Ripon Hills Rd would be closed from 10.30am Thursday.

More to come

Originally published as Cyclone Zelia declared category five with 290km/h winds forecast