Western Australia is bracing for the arrival of a major storm which could bring “very destructive” winds of up to 275 km/h (170 mph).
Tropical Cyclone Ilsa is predicted to strike some 500 kilometres (310 miles) west of Broome.
Food and fuel have been delivered to remote areas, and people have been advised to stock up on water.
The category four cyclone could be region’s strongest in almost 10 years, local authorities said.
A yellow alert, which orders people to be ready to shelter, has been issued for several remote towns including Port Hedland, a town of 15,000 which is the world’s biggest iron ore exporting port, BBC news reported.
Some 700 residents from the remote community of Bidyadanga were being evacuated, the fire service said.
Ilsa is set to be the strongest storm to hit Australia’s north west since Cyclone Christine in December 2013.
The last category four storm to make landfall anywhere in the country was Cyclone Trevor, which hit the Northern Territory and Queensland in 2019.
In April 2021, category three Cyclone Seroja hit WA’s west coast with gusts of up to 170km/h, damaging houses, and toppling trees and power lines.
Source: Oman News Agency