Published on Thursday, 8 April 2021 at 6:35:58 PM
The following alert has been issued by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services WA
Please note changes to Bureau of Meteorology weather information.
Time of issue: 5:18 PM
Date of issue: 08 April 2021
Cyclone Advice for Onslow to Jurien Bay in the Midwest-Gascoyne, Pilbara
ALERT LEVEL
A Cyclone Advice is current for people in or near Onslow to Jurien Bay in the Midwest-Gascoyne, Pilbara
If you live or are travelling between Onslow and Jurien Bay in the Midwest Gascoyne and Pilbara, you need to prepare your home and family for a cyclone tracking off the Western Australian coast.
Cyclones can be incredibly dangerous, bringing heavy rain, flooding, gales and ocean swells.
Heavy rainfall can also affect roads, making travel difficult or even unsafe. Some roads may be closed for a period of time.
People who are travelling or planning to travel through the area, on land or offshore, need to stay informed and make a plan so they know exactly what to do if the situation gets worse.
Remember that preparing your home and property is your responsibility.
WHAT TO DO:
Department of Fire and Emergency Services WA advises you to:
- If your plan is to leave, then you need to do so now.
- Review your cyclone plan and make sure everyone knows what to do.
- Make sure your emergency kit is ready with essential supplies like food and water.
- Prepare your home inside and out.
- Holidaymakers and people travelling through the area should speak with their accommodation provider about their cyclone plan and decide what you will do if the cyclone will impact the area.
- North West Coastal Highway will possibly be closed from Friday and travellers north of Minilya will not be able to travel south.
- Your only option then will be to travel further north, and there could be further restrictions on major highways in the coming days.
- If you are on a vessel on the water or on an island off the coast between Onslow and Jurien Bay, including the Abrolhos Islands, prepare to move to a safer area.
- Do not drive into water of unknown depth and current. If the road is closed, it means its closed.
- Take care in areas that have been flooded and be careful driving on gravel roads as surfaces will be slippery and muddy, and vehicles could become bogged.
- For more information on how to prepare for cyclones visit:
https://www.dfes.wa.gov.au/cyclone/
DETAILS:
Tropical Cyclone Seroja (Category 1) was located at 2:00 pm AWST near 16.9S 111.8E, that is 680 km northwest of Karratha and 610 km north northwest of Exmouth and moving southwest at 21 kilometres per hour.
TC Seroja is expected to bring a relatively brief but intense period of dangerous weather to the west coast late on Sunday or on Monday, somewhere between Perth and Coral Bay, most likely between Jurien Bay and Carnarvon. During Monday Seroja will bring a period of severe weather to areas of the Wheatbelt and southern Goldfields close to its track.
This is a rare event for people on the west coast of WA.
Tropical Cyclone Seroja is forecast to strengthen as it tracks to the southwest over open waters, north of Western Australia. During Saturday it is expected to take a more southerly track while remaining well offshore from the west coast.
On Sunday it is expected to turn to the southeast towards the west coast and make landfall, most likely late Sunday or early Monday between Carnarvon and Jurien Bay, but possibly affecting as far south as Perth or as far north as Coral Bay. There is likely to be destructive winds, very heavy rainfall and higher than normal tides close to Seroja's path.
The most intense rainfall, with the associated danger of flash flooding, will be close to Seroja's track, while the strongest winds will be just to the north of its track.
Tides along the west coast are likely to rise above the normal high tide at times during Sunday, with very rough seas near the centre of Seroja as it comes into the coast.
A Tropical Low was located at 2:00 pm AWST near 15.6S 105.6E,that is 570 km south of Christmas Island and 1140 km northwest of Exmouth and slow moving.
Tropical low (23U) is slow moving well to the northwest of the WA mainland. The system could possibly strengthen to tropical cyclone intensity Friday morning as it starts to move towards the east.
There is likely to be interaction between 23U and the approaching Tropical Cyclone Seroja which is expected to limit development of 23U.
Over the weekend the tropical low should move rapidly towards the south, and could pass near the west Pilbara coast. There is the risk of a period of damaging winds and heavy rain developing in the Exmouth area as early as Saturday, even though 23U is unlikely to still be at tropical cyclone intensity by this stage.
By Sunday the system is likely to have weakened over waters west of the Gascoyne coast.
IMPORTANT NUMBERS:
- For State Emergency Service (SES) assistance call 132 500.
- In a life-threatening situation call 000.
- For weather information visit www.bom.gov.au or call 1300 659 210.
KEEP UP TO DATE:
Visit emergency.wa.gov.au, call 13 DFES (13 3337), follow DFES on Twitter: twitter.com/dfes_wa, Facebook: facebook.com/dfeswa, listen to ABC Local Radio, 6PR, or news bulletins.
During a power outage, your home phone, computer or other electronic devices connected to the NBN will not work. Include a battery powered radio in your emergency kit.
The next update will be issued when the situation changes
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