Authorities in Western Australia on Thursday issued a "red alert" and ordered evacuations as a tropical cyclone approaches, with strong winds raising fears of significant human and material damage.
Forecasters estimate that this Category 4 storm could bring gusts up to 315 kilometers per hour, making it one of the strongest cyclones to hit the country in a decade.
Cyclone Ilsa is expected to make landfall on Thursday evening or Friday morning between the coastal towns of Broome and Port Hedland (northeast), about 17 hours drive north of Perth, the capital of the state of Western Australia.
Ships in Port Hedland, one of the world's major iron ore shipping hubs, have been taken to safety as a precaution.
City Mayor Peter Carter told national broadcaster ABC that the destructive winds from the cyclone, which is gaining momentum in the Indian Ocean, could turn flying debris into "real missiles...which is causing all the damage, which hurts people". "Everyone is on edge," he added.
The Bureau of Meteorology warned that the strong winds of the cyclone would be strong enough to cause widespread destruction by throwing "caravans" or tearing down trees or power lines. Flash flooding is also a concern, according to the agency.
The storm is then expected to move inland. Weather warnings are in place over a vast, sparsely populated expanse that stretches some 1,000 kilometers from the coast to the Outback desert.
The Western Australian State Department of Fire and Emergency Services said it 'cannot stress enough how extreme these conditions are for people in the area'.
Australian researchers have repeatedly warned of the impact of climate change on the risk of natural disasters such as bushfires, floods and cyclones.
04/13/2023 11:38:33 - Sydney (AFP) - © 2023 AFP
