Tropical Cyclone Narelle impacts west Pilbara coast as a category four system
1 hour 53 mins ago
By Andrea Mayes and Jemillah Dawson
Exmouth residents looking over the ocean as Tropical Cyclone Narelle approaches on Thursday afternoon (ABC News: Bridget McArthur)
Residents of coastal communities in parts of Western Australia's north are feeling the full force of Tropical Cyclone Narelle as the system passes close to the coast.
People have been urged to shelter indoors as the category four system moves south about 30 kilometres offshore from Exmouth.
"There is a threat to lives and homes. You are in danger and need to act immediately," the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) said this morning.
The latest warning takes in Barrow Island and Montebellow Islands, Dampier to Onslow, not including Karratha, and west of Onslow to Coral Bay.
Shire of Exmouth president Matthew Niikkula spoke to ABC News Channel early today when the cyclone was still about 100km away.
"From the sound and the feel of it, we're probably experiencing, sort of 160-to-180km/h winds at the moment," he said.
"It's very, very loud, very, very scary outside and, obviously being dark and so much rain, we can only imagine what's happening."
Mr Niikkula said the population has had a week's notice to prepare and had a sense of what was to come with Cyclone Mitchell a few weeks ago.
wildfire season will be bad I think. Different here, too wet.
