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CatastropheAustralia

Cyclone Zelia makes landfall in Western Australia

Midhat Fatimah with AFP, Reuters
February 14, 2025

Cyclone Zelia is one of the strongest storms to his Western Australia in recent years. Major industrial ports were shut down ahead of the storm's arrival.

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Palm trees being battered by wind and rain at Koombana Lookout in Western Australia
Cyclone Zelia hit Australia as a Category 5 stormImage: Tracey Heimberger/AAP/dpa/picture alliance

Severe Tropical Cyclone Zelia hit Australia's west coast on Friday and brought "very destructive" winds of up to 180 mph (290 kph) and heavy rains sparking concerns of flash floods.

The eye of the storm crossed and hit the Australian coast just after 12 p.m. (0400 GMT).

Major port avoids worst of storm

"This is a very dangerous system that will cause significant impact and is causing impacts as we speak," Australian Bureau of Meteorology's Matthew Collopy said.

The eye of the storm, however, passed east of Port Hedland because of which the area could avoid a storm surge, Collopy said.

Plants that have fallen over due to storm in Port Hedland, Western Australia
Emergency services warned residents to take shelter inside their homeImage: Tracey Heimberger/AAP/dpa/picture alliance

Zelia was strongest at Category 5 at the time of landfall east of Port Hedland, which is one of the world's busiest iron ore ports, according to the bureau.

The cyclone weakened slightly to a category four as it moved over the Pilbara region.

According to forecasters, the cyclone is now expected to move around sparsely populated areas.

Residents told to seek shelter

Cyclone Zelia is the most severe storm to hit the Pilbara coast since Cyclone Ilsa in April 2023.

Authorities in Western Australia issued warnings and told residents living in the cyclone's path to seek shelter in the strongest part of their homes.

Many residents in Port Hedland were seen in queue for sandbags as the cyclone approached.

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Port Hedland's iron ore exporting point was closed on Wednesday meanwhile, the ports of Dampier and Varanus Island were shut down on Thursday evening.

The northwest coast of Western Australia is the most cyclone-prone region in the country, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

Edited by: Alex Berry