Severe Cyclone Zelia makes landfall in Australia
Severe Tropical Cyclone Zelia struck Australia's west coast on Friday, bringing "very destructive" winds of up to 180 mph (290 kph) and heavy rainfall, raising concerns about flash floods.
"This is a very dangerous system that will cause significant impact and is causing impacts as we speak," Australian Bureau of Meteorology's Matthew Collopy said, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
The eye of the storm, however, passed east of Port Hedland because of which the area could avoid a storm surge, Collopy said.
Zelia was strongest at Category 5 at the time of landfall east of Port Hedland, which is one of the world's busiest iron ore ports, according to the bureau.
The cyclone weakened slightly to a category four as it moved over the Pilbara region.
According to forecasters, the cyclone is now expected to move around sparsely populated areas.
Cyclone Zelia is the most severe storm to hit the Pilbara coast since Cyclone Ilsa in April 2023.
Authorities in Western Australia issued warnings and told residents living in the cyclone's path to seek shelter in the strongest part of their homes.
Many residents in Port Hedland were seen in queue for sandbags as the cyclone approached.
Port Hedland's iron ore exporting point was closed on Wednesday meanwhile, the ports of Dampier and Varanus Island were shut down on Thursday evening.
The northwest coast of Western Australia is the most cyclone-prone region in the country, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
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