Australia Weather News

Severe Tropical Cyclone Hayley has been downgraded to a category two system as it moves eastwards across Western Australia's Kimberley coast.

The eye of the cyclone crossed the tip of the Dampier Peninsula coastline, north of Broome, around 5pm (WST) on Tuesday evening.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) says the storm is gradually weakening, with sustained winds of 110 kilometres per hour near the cyclone's centre, with wind gusts of up to 155kph.

The storm is currently 80km north west of the town of Derby.

A warning zone is in place north of Beagle Bay to south of Kuri Bay, while warnings have been cancelled for parts of the Dampier Peninsula near and south of Beagle Bay, as well as Derby and Kuri Bay.

Heavy rainfall is also expected, with the possibility of flash flooding in the next 24 hours.

Cyclone Hayley is expected to continue to weaken in intensity as it heads east over land and could drop to tropical low status as early as Wednesday morning.

BOM WA state manager James Ashley said the system had sped up from 12km/h to 23km/h in the final hours before crossing the coast.

"You can clearly see on the radar it has crossed south of the community of Djarindjin," he said.

"I imagine that area is getting absolutely pummelled by wind and rain."

Debris warnings

Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) acting Kimberley superintendent Todd Pender said loose debris was a key concern for residents in the emergency warning zone.

"As those gale force winds intensify to damaging and then also to destructive, they have the propensity to pick up the debris and fly it around the community," he said. 

"There is a very high potential for damage. We are going to see structures damaged by this event, unfortunately."

Mr Pender said coastal communities could experience destructive winds.

"The category three circumstances, that environment, is probably going to last right up until it gets to the coast," he said.

But Mr Pender assured the community that enough people were in place to support during the cyclone, including operational and search and rescue teams that had flown into Broome.

He said a number of State Emergency Services volunteers had also arrived to assist with recovery efforts.

Mr Pender added that a "significant" number of people had evacuated from Dampier Peninsula communities to Broome.

Community evacuates

Some of the evacuees included elders from the Djarindjin community.

Laurel Angus said it had been raining heavily in the community before they left on Tuesday.

"We had to move out. We wouldn't feel safe there with the cyclone," she said.

She said it was much safer for older people to be in Broome.

Community member Erica Kyle drove the bus of elders and described the journey as "slow" and "wet".

"They were a bit upset they had to leave their houses, but they know it's the right thing," she said.

"They need shelter, somewhere safe during the cyclone."

Ms Kyle said she would stay in Broome with her young children and look after the elders until the skies clear.

An emergency evacuation centre has been set up at the Broome Recreation and Aquatic Centre.