Tropical Cyclone Mitchell has formed off the Pilbara coast of Western Australia, bringing powerful winds and heavy rainfall to the region, News.Az reports, citing Australian media.
Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Angus Hines said the system is currently about 150 kilometres offshore, though its impacts are already being felt along the coast.
“Even though it is over the water, it will continue to bring rain and strong winds onto parts of the Western Australian coast,” he said.
The system was upgraded overnight and is forecast to intensify further as it approaches land late Saturday or early Sunday.
“It will take a bit of a shift on Sunday as it looks likely to swing more to the south. The current track shows it reaching the coast somewhere near Onslow, out to the west of the Pilbara,” Mr Hines said.
“As it moves onto the country, that will bring further rainfall and some very strong winds to the northwest of WA.”
He warned that affected areas could experience damaging to destructive wind gusts, along with heavy rain and thunderstorms that may trigger flash flooding or cause river levels to rise, particularly later Saturday and into Sunday.
By late Sunday, the system is expected to strengthen into a category three cyclone. While it is forecast to weaken by Monday, it is still likely to deliver heavy rainfall throughout the week.
Mr Hines urged residents to prepare by stocking up on extra food and water in case of disruptions to water supplies or power.
“But once it starts to hit and that nasty weather sets in and the tropical cyclone, you really want to be battening down the hatches,” he said.
Category two and category three cyclones differ mainly in intensity and potential damage, with category three systems producing winds strong enough to topple trees.
The development marks the second consecutive day of wild weather along the coast. On Friday at 2am local time, the tropical low was located about 50 kilometres northeast of Broome, already bringing heavy rainfall across parts of the Kimberley.
Curtin recorded 115 millimetres of rain in just 18 hours, while Broome received more than 50 millimetres over the same period.
Once offshore, the system is expected to draw energy from warm waters north of Western Australia, significantly increasing the risk of heavy rain, flooding and damaging winds for coastal communities.
