Cyclone hits Australia

2006-03-30 13:11

Perth - Australia's remote northwest shore was lashed by 130km/h winds as a severe tropical cyclone began crossing the coast on Thursday from the Indian Ocean, the government weather authorities said. There were no immediate reports of substantial damage.

Cyclone Glenda first hit land along the sparsely populated Pilbara coast of Western Australia state, about 1 000km north of the state capital, Perth, about 16:00 local time, Bureau of Meteorology manager Grahame Reader said.

The cyclone was expected to take several hours to pass over land - where its destructive energy was expected to dissipate quickly - because its south-south-west course was running almost parallel to the coast, Reader said.

Onslow, a fishing town of more than 800, was likely to bear the brunt of the cyclone's force, Reader said.

"There is a fairly good chance that Onslow will be in for a period very destructive winds, so you can say the cyclone will hit it," Reader said.

Wreak havoc

Pilbara residents were also warned of the potential for a dangerous storm tide as the cyclone centre crosses the coast.

"Tides are likely to rise significantly above the normal high tide mark with very dangerous flooding and damaging waves," the bureau said.

Heavy rains pelted the Pilbara region as residents battened down for the storm - the sixth to menace them since the season began in November.

"We are asking people to stay indoors and to seek shelter," said Jim Cahill, an operations manager with the Fire and Emergency Services Authority of Western Australia.

Glenda was downgraded from a maximum category 5 storm to category 4 late on Wednesday, but was still expected to wreak havoc along the Pilbara coastline, home to few major towns but many huge mining complexes including major iron ore and diamond mines.

Glenda's assault on Western Australia comes just over a week after category 5 Cyclone Larry battered Queensland state on the east coast with 290km/h winds, devastating farming towns and flattening banana and sugar cane plantations.

- AP