Tropical Cyclone Heidi is now less than 50 kilometres from Port Hedland as it bares down on Western Australia’s Pilbara coast.
A red alert has been issued for people in or near coastal and inland communities between Pardoo and Whim Creek, with residents told to seek shelter immediately.
At midnight (WST) the Bureau of Meteorology said the category two cyclone was moving south southwest at 10 kilometres per hour towards the coast.
A cyclone warning is current for coastal areas from Wallal to Dampier, including Port Hedland, Roebourne, Karratha and Dampier, and extending to adjacent inland parts.
Coastal areas between Port Hedland and Whim Creek are experiencing gales of up to 120 kilometres per hour and destructive winds of 155 kilometres per hour are developing along the coast between Pardoo and Port Hedland.
Forecasters warn they should extend west towards Whim Creek on Thursday morning as the cyclone crosses the coast and 100 kilometre per hour winds may extend west to Dampier if Heidi takes a more southwesterly track, and into the adjacent inland parts of the central Pilbara.
Heavy rainfall is expected with up to 250 millimetres possible across the central and eastern Pilbara.
Residents in the Port Hedland area and east to Wallal are warned being of a possible dangerous storm tide as Heidi crosses the coast.
A blue alert has been issued for communities between Whim Creek and Dampier, with residents there told to organise their emergency kit.
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