Red alert for cyclone Lua in WA

Communities along Western Australia’s Pilbara and Kimberley coasts have been put on red alert and told to take shelter immediately as tropical cyclone Lua takes aim at the coast.

The category 3 system is expected to cross the coast about noon on Saturday (WST), bringing with it potentially devastating wind gusts of up to 230km/h, along with heavy rain, flooding and a dangerous storm tide.

An alert issued by WA’s Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA) at 9.45pm (WST) on Friday said a red alert was in place for Wallal and Port Hedland, including 80 Mile Beach, Sandfire, Pardoo and South Hedland in the Pilbara and Kimberley.

Flights into the region have been cancelled, the main highway between Broome and Port Hedland has been closed and relocation centres have been set up in Port Hedland and South Hedland and Marble Bar.

Residents have been told to move to the strongest part of their house and stay clear of windows.

A lower level yellow alert is in place for the coastal and inland communities between Broome and Whim Creek, including Bidyadanga, Warralong, Yande Yarra, Marble Bar and adjacent pastoral and mining leases.

Those communities have been told to get ready to shelter.

A lower blue alert is current for people in or near the coastal and inland communities between Whim Creek and Dampier including Karratha, Dampier, Roebourne, Wickham and Point Samson as well as inland communities, including Nullagine, Newman and Jigalong.

At 8pm (WST) on Friday Lua was about 390km north northwest of Port Hedland and moving east southeast at 19km/h and intensifying.

The Bureau of Meteorology said gales were expected to develop early on Saturday morning in coastal areas between Whim Creek and Bidyadanga, including Port Hedland, extending during the morning to adjacent inland areas and north to Cape Leveque including Broome, and possibly west to Dampier.

It said destructive winds up to 160km/h were possible between Port Hedland and Bidyadanga and very destructive winds up to 230km/h were forecast near Lua’s centre.

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