Australia Weather News

Tropical Cyclone Luana has crossed Western Australia's Kimberley coast, with the region's residents urged to brace for heavy rain, gale-force winds and potential flooding.

The system made landfall as a category two system along the Dampier Peninsula, north of Broome, and around 2,000km north of Perth, just after 2pm on Saturday.

An emergency warning remains in place for residents of remote communities along the peninsula, with wind gusts of up to 125km/h recorded at the edge of the system.

Flood warnings have also been issued, with Luana expected to bring 150–200mm of rain across the West Kimberley over the next 24–48 hours.

Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Jessica Lingard said gusts of 91km/h were recorded at Koolan Island.

She said Luana was funnelling water down King Sound and towards Derby.

Ms Lingard said a king tide was expected about 5:30pm today, which could reach as high as 11 metres, making coastal inundation likely.

More than 70mm of rain has also fallen in parts of the Dampier Peninsula.

While communities along the peninsula are sheltering in place, residents in Derby, 200km east of Broome, have been making final preparations.

Rusty's IGA Manager Tameka Plummer said a steady stream of people had been coming through the doors to secure supplies.

"As soon as we opened the door, there were people out the front waiting to get all the last-minute necessities," she said.

"Bread, eggs, toilet paper; we've got pallets of that."

Despite a casual response from some locals, she said the Shire of Derby-West Kimberley's decision to open the evacuation centre and provide sandbags around town had reinforced the seriousness of the situation.

Visit Emergency WA, call DFES on 133 337, download the Emergency WA app, or listen to ABC Kimberley to stay up to date.