Tropical Cyclone Zelia
Tropical cyclone Zelia developed off the coast northwest of Broome on February 10 2025. TC Zelia developed to a category 5 severe tropical cyclone (STC) while moving towards the southwest. STC Zelia then turned towards the Western Australia coast on February 14 and made landfall after deterioting to a category 4 STC around 4 pm (AWST) to the north of Port Hedland. STC Zelia then moved inland and deterioted to a tropical low pressure system by midday February 15 2025.
Headline February 14 2025:
Severe Tropical Cyclone Zelia now moving to the south over the inland eastern Pilbara. Severe winds to ease at Port Hedland this evening.
Areas affected:
Warning zone: Wallal Downs to Whim Creek, including Port Hedland, and extending inland to Marble Bar, Nullagine, and Munjina .
Watch zone: None.
Cancelled zones: None.
Details of Severe Tropical Cyclone Zelia 18U at 5:00 pm AWST:
Intensity: category 3, sustained winds near the centre of 150 kilometres per hour with wind gusts to 205 kilometres per hour.
Location: within 20 kilometres of 20.7 degrees South, 119.3 degrees East , 85 kilometres east southeast of Port Hedland and 70 kilometres northwest of Marble Bar .
Movement: south southeast at 19 kilometres per hour .
Severe Tropical Cyclone Zelia made landfall at 12:30pm near De Grey River mouth, northeast of Port Hedland at category 4 intensity. Zelia will now take a general southerly track over land and weaken. Intense rainfall is expected near and to the east of the centre of the cyclone.
Hazards:
VERY DESTRUCTIVE WIND GUSTS of up to 200 kilometres per hour are likely within 30 kilometres of the centre of the cyclone but Port Hedland lies outside this region. Wind gusts near the centre will reduce this evening and overnight.
DESTRUCTIVE WIND GUSTS of up to 160 kilometres per hour are occurring over areas just inland from the coast between Port Hedland and Pardoo, and will move through areas further inland near the track, possibly impacting Marble Bar for a period tonight.
Gales with DAMAGING WIND GUSTS to 120 kilometres per hour are occurring on the coast between Pardoo and Whim Creek, including Port Hedland, but should ease tonight. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS to 120 kilometres per hour are also occurring inland to Marble Bar, and will possibly extend to Nullagine and Munjina Saturday morning.
HEAVY to LOCALLY INTENSE RAINFALL which may lead to FLASH FLOODING is occurring across coastal and adjacent inland areas between Wallal Downs and Whim Creek, extending inland to Marble Bar and Nullagine overnight. A Severe Weather Warning has been issued for the southeast Pilbara and northeast Gascoyne for the risk of damaging winds gusts and heavy rainfall after Zelia weakens below tropical cyclone intensity. Flood Watches and Warnings are also current for catchments in the Pilbara, western Kimberley and northern Gascoyne. Go to www.bom.gov.au/wa/warnings for further details.
There is no longer a risk of a storm tide at Port Hedland or areas to the east. Tides may remain higher than normal this evening and into Saturday.
Recommended Action:
Ensure you know what to do in a cyclone. For the latest DFES community alerts and warnings visit www.emergency.wa.gov.au or download the Emergency WA app.
From www.bom.gov.au February 14 2025.
