Australia Weather News

Residents have been warned to prepare for wild weather as Tropical Cyclone Mitchell tracks along Western Australia's Pilbara coast.

After tracking across northern Australia for days as a tropical low, the system reached cyclone intensity just after 8pm on Friday, about 255km northeast of Port Hedland.

Now a category 1 system, Mitchell is forecast to track along the coast over the course of the weekend, before making landfall near Onslowtomorrow afternoon as a category 2 system.

However, the Bureau of Meteorology Duty Forecaster Helen Reid said there was a chance the system could intensify to a category 3

“We are expecting that track to be really parallel to the coastline for the next 24 hours and then gradually swing into the coastline,” she said. 

"If its movement does slow down then we could see further intensification, but at this stage we're expecting it to be category 2.

“We'll need to keep a close eye on exactly where we're expecting landfall to be, but at this stage it's looking to be just west on the coastline near Onslow.”

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services has advised people in the area from Whim Creek to Mardie, including Barrow Island and Montebello Islands to prepare to shelter. 

An evacuation centre will open from midday at the Karratha Leisure Centre. 

The Bureau warns of destructive winds up to 150km/h are possible for coastal areas near Karratha, Dampier and Wickham late Saturday extending to Mardie Saturday night.

Damaging winds up to 120km/h are forecast for larger parts of the Pilbara coast between De Grey and Mardie, expanding west to Onslow and Exmouth and inland to Pannawonica on Sunday.