Western Australia has made final preparations for the arrival of severe tropical cyclone Ilsa. The cyclone has meanwhile become significantly stronger and is now classified in Category 4, the National Weather Service (BOM) announced on Thursday. Experts expected it to make landfall between Port Hedland and Bidyadanga between Thursday evening and Friday morning (local time) with heavy rain and extremely strong winds.
The Bureau of Meteorology warned the cyclone’s “highly destructive core” could bring gusts of 170 miles per hour. In addition, “abnormally high waves” are expected, especially in the coastal area between the cities of Broome and Port Hedland. From there, Ilsa will then move further in the direction of the hinterland, it said.
The Australian broadcaster ABC reported that enough food had been brought to the community of Bidyadanga for all residents for a week. However, authorities feared power outages and communication problems.
Some residents who are elderly or ill have been taken to Broome as a precaution. The evacuation of remote Aboriginal communities, cattle ranches, miners and caravan parks began on Wednesday. The country’s emergency services announced that the Great Northern Highway – the main link in the region – would be closed between Port Hedland and Broome.
The last time Australia had a category 4 cyclone was four years ago. In 2019, Hurricane Trevor caused severe damage in Queensland and the Northern Territory. A cyclone of this magnitude last raged in Western Australia more than ten years ago.
