Cyclone Ilsa has been downgraded after delivering what is likely the strongest wind gust ever recorded in Australia, but Western Australia’s acting Emergency Services Minister has warned the threat from the storm “is not over yet” as it moves further inland.
The tropical storm made landfall at WA’s Pilbara Coast as a category 5 system, but has now been classified as a category 2 after moving past the mining town of Telfer in the Pilbara’s far east.
Speaking in Perth on Friday, Bureau of Meteorology hazard preparedness and response manager Todd Smith said the wind gusts from Ilsa were likely the strongest-ever recorded in Australia.
“Our automatic weather station recorded a wind gust of 289km/h,” he said.
“We’re going to do some checks on the data there, but it’s likely that that will go down as the strongest wind gusts ever recorded by the Bureau’s equipment in Australia.
“So it just shows how strong this system was when it was approaching the coast.”
Smith added it was lucky the storm didn’t hit the town of Port Hedland, where the impact was much lighter than initially expected.
“The fact that the cyclone took a south-eastward shift in the track late yesterday afternoon really means that Port Hedland dodged a bullet last night,” he said.
“Most of the impacts as we’ve seen are further to the east, and the impacts in Port Hedland were really light with the system tracking about 150km further along the track.”
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The bulk of the damage recorded so far was at Pardoo Roadhouse, to the north-east of the town.
Smith said the storm is expected to continue moving east before dropping below cyclone intensity and moving into the Northern Territory.
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But while it is weakening, acting Emergency Services Minister Sue Ellery said Ilsa still poses danger.
“This situation is still developing,” she said.
“Ilsa is continuing to move eastward now as a category 2. There are several remote communities and mining operations which are yet to be impacted…
“This is a live event. To all of the communities in the Pilbara and the Kimberley, please take care of yourselves, your family members and stay safe.
“The impact of severe Tropical Cyclone Ilsa is not over yet.”
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