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Tropical Cyclone Stan hits Pilbara coast in Western Australia Tropical Cyclone Stan weakens as it crosses Pilbara coast in Western Australia
(about 4 hours later)
Tropical Cyclone Stan has made landfall in the Pilbara where residents in its immediate path are taking shelter following the declaration of the highest level red alert warning. A town on West Australia’s Pilbara coast has been spared the worst of Cyclone Stan as it failed to reach the predicted category three strength overnight.
Stan crossed the coast just east of Pardoo as a category two system early on Sunday after failing to meet some expectations it might strengthen to category three. The cyclone crossed at the Pardoo roadhouse, east Pilbara coast at 2am and was on Sunday morning moving inland in a south-easterly direction.
Cyclone forecasters say it would move inland during Sunday morning and gradually weaken. It was still classified as a category two cyclone and was moving about 18km/h.
They have warned of potentially “destructive winds” with gusts to 150km/h near the cyclone centre as it moves south-east into the Pilbara. Residents living between Port Hedland and Wallal, including Pardoo, Wallal, Eighty Mile and Marble Bar, were still on red alert, with WA Department of Fire and Emergency Services warning a threat to lives and homes still existed.
The red alert declared by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) is for communities between Port Hedland and Wallal extending inland to Marble Bar, including Pardoo, Wallal, Eighty Mile and Marble Bar but not including Port Hedland or South Hedland. People living in the cyclone’s path have been told to shelter in the strongest part of their home and stay away from windows and doors until the all-clear sign was sounded by authorities.
“There is a threat to lives and homes. You are in danger and need to act immediately,” the DFES warning said. Tropical cyclone meteorologist Joe Courtney said it was fortunate that Cyclone Stan did not intensify into a more severe cyclone overnight.
It advised affected residents to get ready to shelter in the strongest, safest part of their homes, have their emergency kits with them and to stay indoors until authorities gave the all clear. “We believe it was a category two. Fortunately, it didn’t intensify to become a severe cyclone,” he said.
A lower level yellow alert was in place for the coastal and inland communities of Wallal to Bidyadanga, not including Bidyadanga, and between Marble Bar and Jigalong including Nullagine, Roy Hill and Telfer, but not including Jigalong. “The primary threat is mainly rainfall, and fortunately it will avoid most of the major river system of the Pilbara.”
A lesser blue alert was in place for the area bounded by Munjina to Newman, including Munjina, Jigalong and Cotton Creek, but not including Newman. While Pardoo, a roadhouse tavern and cattle station on the Great Northern Highway, was expected to be the worst hit, Courtney said the strongest winds occurred east of Pardoo and there was no major damage reported from the community.
An all clear advice was issued early on Sunday for people in or near the coastal communities between Broome and Bidyadanga, including Bidyadanga, and from Whim Creek to Port Hedland, including Whim Creek, Port Hedland and South Hedland. “They’re very resilient people out there,” he said. “They’ve had category four and five cyclones come through in recent history, so a category two cyclone shouldn’t cause any significant damage for those areas.”
At 3.05am (WST) on Sunday the Bureau of Meteorology advised that Stan was about 35km east north-east of Pardoo, moving south south-east at 20km/h. However, potential for heavy rain still remained, with widespread rainfall between 50mm and 100mm expected to fall near the cyclone.
The bureau said gales with gusts to 100km/h were likely to extend to the inland east Pilbara and adjacent interior districts during Sunday as Stan continued to move towards the south-east and increase in speed. Courtney said current wind gusts of up to 130km/h near the centre would weaken to about 110km/h later on Sunday morning, progressively easing as the day goes on.
Residents between Pardoo and Bidyadanga were warned of a possible very dangerous storm tide bringing high waves and flooding as Stan’s centre crossed the coast during Sunday morning.
Stan is the first cyclone of the Australian season, which begins officially on 1 November each year.Stan is the first cyclone of the Australian season, which begins officially on 1 November each year.
Temporary evacuation centres have been set up at Karratha and South Hedland.