Authorities warn that the most dangerous conditions could arrive while many residents are asleep.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Mitchell is expected to make landfall on the Pilbara Gascoyne coast of Western Australia late Sunday.
The category 3 system is predicted by the Bureau of Meteorology to move southwest along the shoreline through Sunday before crossing the coast between Exmouth and Onslow overnight.
Parts of the Pilbara have already been severely damaged by the cyclone, which brought destructive winds, heavy rain and unusually high tides as it passed near communities like Karratha.
According to ABC, Karratha received roughly 90 mm of rain in the 24 hours leading up to Sunday morning at 9 A.M. while offshore islands saw stronger gusts.
Parts of the Pilbara coast are still under an emergency warning and Emergency WA is advising anyone within the warning area to seek shelter indoors right away due to the risk to their lives and property.
As the system gets closer to the coast, flooding is another serious worry. If roads collapse, some communities may be cut off.
Widespread rainfall over the next few days could cause river rises, localized flooding and overland inundation, according to the Bureau’s flood watch for the Onslow Coast.
Important export facilities are taking precautions as the cyclone disrupts the state’s resource supply chain.
As the cyclone got closer, Pilbara Ports reported that a number of important ports, including Port Hedland were shut down over the weekend.
Emergency services warned that although the cyclone is predicted to weaken after crossing the coast, conditions could still be dangerous into Monday.
Residents are advised to continue monitoring official warnings as the track and intensity change.
