Northwestern Australia was hit by a severe tropical cyclone on Friday, with the strongest sustained winds ever recorded in the country. Tropical Cyclone Ilsa was upgraded to a category five storm just before making landfall near Pardoo, a sparsely populated town about 19 hours’ drive northeast of Perth.
Although the Pardoo Roadhouse reported “great damage”, major population centers appeared to have “escaped the brunt of the cyclone”, according to authorities.
The cyclone has since weakened to a category three, with the Bureau of Meteorology stating that it set a preliminary Australian record for the strongest sustained wind speeds over a 10-minute period, averaging 218 kilometers per hour with gusts of 288 kph.
Climate change has been linked to increased risk of natural disasters such as cyclones. The Department of Fire and Emergency Services has issued “red alerts,” ordering people to stay indoors until given the all-clear.
Tropical Cyclone Ilsa is still producing “destructive” winds of up to 165 kph, and is forecast to maintain intensity as it moves across the Outback in the coming days.
The northwest coast of Western Australia is the most “cyclone-prone region” in the country and home to some of Australia’s largest mining operations. Port Hedland, an iron ore-shipping hub, was closed earlier this week as the cyclone approached.
