By Matilda Trudgett
Tropical Cyclone Narelle has re-intensified to a category 4 storm as it ploughs through the Pilbara region on the northwest coast.
The cyclone formed in the Coral Sea in the South Pacific region last week before making landfall as a category 4 storm between the Lockhart River and Coen on Queensland’s far north coast.
It then weakened off the coast to before making landfall over the Katherine region on Sunday, bringing rainfall of over 200mm to the region, with emergency flood warnings still in place.
Since its formation, the system has travelled over 5700km according to the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) and has just made landfall again at Exmouth on the West Coast where locals were preparing for the worst as wind gusts have exceeded 200km/h and were expected to reach speeds of up to 250km/h.
Even locals in Perth, over 1000km away, have been told to prepare for wind gusts of up to 90km/h in the city’s east this afternoon.
Despite multiple calls for assistance across the coast, and the Exmouth evacuation centre losing part of its roof to the severe winds, no injuries have been reported. The system is expected to make a full coastal crossing across the Carnarvon region later today but was downgraded to a category 3 by the BoM this afternoon.
Despite the storm calming slightly, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services has advised residents in affected areas to stay indoors, in the strongest and safest part of the building and away from any doors and windows.
Featured image: Wind map image showing wind speeds at 5am 27/03/2026 at Exmouth WA. Source: Zoom Earth
