Cyclone Ilsa hits Western Australia

A powerful cyclone Ilsa hit Western Australia close to Port Hedland as a category five storm on Friday. The storm has been however downgraded to category three, but a red alert remains in place for some inland communities. No reports of injury to people or critical infrastructure has been reported.  With windspeed of 218 kilometer per hour recorded on Bedout Island just off the coast, the cyclone was the strongest to hit the region in some 14 years. Port Hedland Mayor Peter Carter described the sound of the wind hitting the town as "very eerie and unusual" and "like a freight train".Ilsa's very destructive winds were moving inland, but the storm is predicted to weaken further overnight into Saturday. Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said ,rain and storms to impact central Australia.

With Tropical Cyclone #Ilsa set to hit Western Australia's Pilbara and Kimberley regions later today, it's a reminder of the power and destruction of these storms. Watch to see how they form pic.twitter.com/2Vzu10MoUi #TCilsa

— Australian Academy of Science (@Science_Academy) April 13, 2023

One well-known local tavern and caravan park lying right in the path of the storm - the Pardoo roadhouse - suffered "great damage", its owners said on Facebook.But there have so far been no reports of injury to people and all critical infrastructure was undamaged by the cyclone, the region's fire chief said.