Western Australia Experiences Multiple Tropical Cyclone Impacts

Western Australia experienced a series of impacts from multiple tropical cyclones, including Narelle, Luana, and Mitchell, which affected various coastal regions over a period. These systems brought destructive winds, heavy rainfall, and abnormally high tides, leading to widespread emergency responses, infrastructure disruptions, and damage assessments across the Gascoyne, Kimberley, and Pilbara coastlines.

Tropical Cyclone Narelle

Tropical Cyclone Narelle intensified to a Category 4 system, with forecasts indicating it could briefly reach Category 5 strength. The system moved south, parallel to the coastline, and was projected to make landfall late Friday night on the Gascoyne coast, near Shark Bay. It was expected to weaken to a Category 3 as it moved further south, potentially affecting Carnarvon, and then to a Category 2 east of Kalbarri early Saturday morning.

Narelle had a significant gale radius, with strong winds affecting Karratha, 240 kilometers north of its position. Destructive winds, potentially up to 275 km/h, were anticipated for Exmouth and Onslow. Gale-force winds peaked at approximately 159 km/h on Barrow Island, and high winds reached 180 km/h on Varanus Island.

Heavy rain was expected across a large coastal area, starting Thursday night and intensifying early Friday. Coral Bay and Exmouth could receive 100-200mm of rain, while Perth might see 40-50mm. Forecasts for Saturday included 20-50mm of rain for the Mid West, Great Southern, Central Wheatbelt, and South West regions.

• Evacuations: Tourists were advised to evacuate the area, and caravan parks and campsites were largely cleared. Authorities advised heading inland as the safest evacuation route.

• Exmouth: Fuel supplies were in high demand. An evacuation center was established at the town hall, and schools were expected to close. A search and rescue team was deployed.

• Shark Bay: Concerns were noted regarding the supply of diesel, which is critical for the town's power stations. Additional fuel supplies were sent to Shark Bay.

• Geraldton: Building surveyors cautioned that many homes, particularly older structures, were not built to withstand extreme cyclonic winds. Residents were advised to secure loose items and protect windows.

• Fuel Supplies: A service station south of Geraldton experienced diesel shortages, challenging local demand for generators.

• Infrastructure and Industry: The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) prepared for conditions similar to Tropical Cyclone Seroja in 2021.

A Category 3 impact would cause substantial damage to non-cyclone-rated homes, similar to Tropical Cyclone Seroja in 2021.

An SES storm damage crew was in Denham laying sandbags. Chevron cleared ports, moved vessels, and relocated workers to cyclone-rated accommodation on Barrow Island. The ports of Ashburton, Cape Preston West, Dampier, and Varanus Island were closed.

• Gas Projects Outages: Four major gas projects experienced outages. Chevron suspended production at its Wheatstone project and had an outage at one of three LNG trains at its Gorgon facility. Woodside reported a production interruption at its Karratha Gas Plant. Santos's facility on Varanus Island tripped due to high winds. These facilities collectively account for almost two-thirds of Western Australia's domestic gas supply.

Tropical Cyclone Luana

Tropical Cyclone Luana made landfall on Western Australia's Kimberley coast as a Category 2 system, crossing the Dampier Peninsula, north of Broome, at approximately 2:00 PM on Saturday. The system subsequently weakened to a Category 1 as it moved south-east overnight and was expected to further weaken below tropical cyclone strength as it tracked inland. By Sunday morning, it had downgraded to a tropical low south of Derby and was projected to move south through the Kimberley, Pilbara, and southern interior over several days.

Wind gusts reached up to 125 km/h at the edge of the system, with a gust of 91 km/h recorded at Koolan Island. Destructive wind gusts, potentially reaching 130 km/hr, were expected for coastal parts of WA's north between Cockatoo Island and Beagle Bay on Saturday, with damaging gusts up to 120 km/hr possible between Kuri Bay and Beagle Bay from Friday evening.

Heavy rainfall was anticipated, with Luana projected to deliver 150–200 mm across the West Kimberley area over 24–48 hours; over 70 mm had already fallen in parts of the Dampier Peninsula. Heavy rainfall was expected to persist in Derby and the southern Dampier Peninsula, extending to inland areas, potentially causing flash flooding. Six-hourly rainfall totals of 70mm to 120mm were anticipated, extending to the South Interior and northern Eucla.

Residents within King Sound faced a potential dangerous storm tide, increasing the risk of damaging waves and flooding. A king tide, expected around 5:30 PM, could reach up to 11 meters, increasing the likelihood of coastal inundation. Cape Leveque and Cockatoo Island were alerted to rising tides, with low-lying coastal areas at risk of minor flooding.

• Evacuations and Sheltering: An emergency warning was in effect for remote communities along the Dampier Peninsula. An evacuation center was operational at Broome Recreation and Aquatic Centre, with a second opening at the Derby Civic Centre at 8 AM on Saturday, January 24. Residents in the Dampier Peninsula were advised to evacuate immediately if unprepared. Communities on the peninsula sheltered in place.

• Derby: Residents undertook final preparations, and the Shire of Derby-West Kimberley opened an evacuation center and distributed sandbags. Power was restored by 3:30 AM after over 350 Horizon customers experienced outages. The primary damage in Derby included 12 requests for assistance, mainly concerning fallen trees blocking or leaning on homes. Derby and Broome State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers, assisted by 13 minimum security prisoners from West Kimberley Regional Prison, addressed these cleanup efforts.

• Mercedes Cove Exclusive Retreat: An Aboriginal-owned business sustained significant damage to the owners' family home, with the roof removed, ceiling collapse, and water damage. This property had recently undergone repairs after ex-Tropical Cyclone Hayley earlier in the month. The tourist accommodation at the retreat was not affected.

• Roads: Road closures included Cape Leveque Road from McGuigan Road and Gibb River Road between Kimbolton Road and Pentecost River. Locals and travelers were cautioned to reconsider Australia Day long weekend travel plans due to potential road impassability or closures.

• Overall Context: Luana marked the third cyclone to impact the Kimberley coast since November, following Tropical Cyclone Hayley.

• Public Information: Residents were advised to monitor conditions, exercise caution on roads, avoid floodwaters, and seek updates from Emergency WA, DFES, the Emergency WA app, or ABC Kimberley.

Tropical Cyclone Mitchell

Tropical Cyclone Mitchell, initially a Category 2 storm, was forecast to intensify to a Category 3 before making landfall in Western Australia's Pilbara region. It was located approximately 140km north of Port Hedland and projected to intensify as it passed north of Karratha overnight. Mitchell was expected to continue moving south towards the Pilbara coast, with landfall anticipated by Monday. The system subsequently downgraded to a Category 1 and was weakening as it moved south off the Gascoyne coast, anticipated to downgrade to a low-pressure system by Tuesday as it moved inland to the southeast.

Wind gusts up to 130 km/h were recorded. Very destructive winds, reaching up to 170 km/h, were projected for Onslow and potentially Exmouth. Earlier reports indicated wind gusts of 169 km/h at Legendre Island and 148 km/h at Barrow Island. On the mainland, gusts reached 120 km/h at Onslow, 100 km/h at Karratha, and 96 km/h at Mardie, leading to fallen trees.

Heavy rainfall and flash flooding were forecast, with Karratha recording 124mm of rain over the weekend. Severe weather warnings for heavy rainfall and damaging winds were in effect for areas including Geraldton, Kalbarri, Mount Magnet, Dalwallinu, Eneabba, and Northampton for early Tuesday morning.

Abnormally high tides were expected to cause significant flooding in the Karratha region early in the morning, followed by the Onslow region in the afternoon.

• Warnings and Alerts: Warnings were issued for areas from De Grey to Ningaloo, including Port Hedland, Karratha, Onslow, Exmouth, Pilbara, and Pannawonica. A watch and act warning was in place for Whim Creek to Mardie, Barrow Island, and Montebello Islands. A cyclone emergency warning covered the Ningaloo Coast south to the Wooramel Roadhouse, encompassing Coral Bay and Carnarvon, and extending inland through parts of the western Pilbara and western Gascoyne. The warning for Exmouth was downgraded to a watch and act.

• Evacuation Centers: An evacuation center opened at the Karratha Leisureplex. Other evacuation centers were established in Share Bay Recreation Centre, Exmouth Shire Hall, Onslow Multi Purpose Centre, and Carnarvon PCYC. Pets were generally not permitted at these centers unless they were recognized assistance animals.

• Disruptions: Seventeen schools were closed.

• Power: Horizon Power reported 1675 customers in Exmouth without power, with restoration estimated by Monday 4 PM.

• Ports: Several Pilbara Ports, including Ashburton, Cape Preston West, Dampier, and Varanus Island, were closed on Monday, though operations at Port Hedland resumed.

• Emergency Response: State Emergency Services received at least seven calls for assistance, primarily from Karratha, related to damaged trees and roof damage. The Department of Fire and Emergency Services advised residents to shelter in the safest part of their buildings.

• Industry: The Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia reported no major damage to mining operations as of Monday afternoon.

• Seasonal Context: Mitchell was reported as the ninth tropical cyclone of the 2025-26 season.

If Mitchell crossed the coast, it would be the fifth to do so that year, marking the highest number of landfalling cyclones in Australia in eight years.