The shells washed up on Eighty Mile beach will be unbelievable not to mention Cable beach and north. Keep the grey nomads happy for another year of shell collecting. Pity though if 80 Mile caravan park gets damaged again. You would just about give up 2 CAT4-5's in a few years. I guess Yasi/Larry was a similiar setup on a much larger scale population wise.

Yeah, I was going to mention that but I wondered if it was appropriate. But now you have broached it what was incredibly lucky (and absolutely no disrespect to the the people of Tully, Innisfail, Babinda Mission Beach, Cardwell, El Arish, Silkwood etc... and all of the other smaller communities hit) was that both Yasi and Larry (relatively) missed Cairns and Townsville.
Your version is Hedland/Townsville (industry) and Broome/Cairns (tourism).
Having said all that.... nobody anywhere wishes a severe TC on anybody.

Can't sleep...keep thinking of the ocean coming up Gantheume Point Rd and washing me away! Irrational I know.

Mickedmoo (and Popeye).... I've been there more than once and I know exactly what you are going through... it's difficult thinking about what might happen... but it probably wont.
Shut down and get some sleep.... you may need it.

Thanks Boomer. nitey nite all x

Looks like Lua Moving in a South Direction going buy the Radar.

IDW24100
Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology
Western Australia
Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre

Media: Transmitters serving the area between Port Hedland and Bidyadanga are
requested to USE the Standard Emergency Warning Signal before broadcasting the
following warning.

TOP PRIORITY FOR IMMEDIATE BROADCAST

TROPICAL CYCLONE ADVICE NUMBER 20
Issued at 2:48 am WST on Saturday 17 March 2012

A Cyclone WARNING is current for coastal areas from Cape Leveque to Dampier,
including Port Hedland, Karratha, Dampier and Broome, as well as inland parts
of the east Pilbara and far west Kimberley, including Telfer, Newman and
Jigalong.
A Cyclone WATCH is current for parts of the central and eastern inland Pilbara,
the eastern Gascoyne, far northern Goldfields and the far western Interior
including Three Rivers, Meekatharra and Wiluna.

At 2:00 am WST Severe Tropical Cyclone Lua, Category 3 was estimated to be
300 kilometres north of Port Hedland
365 kilometres west of Broome
moving east southeast at 20 kilometres per hour.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Lua is intensifying as it moves steadily towards the
east Pilbara coast, with an expected crossing during Saturday afternoon.

Gales are expected in coastal areas between Whim Creek and Bidyadanga including
Port Hedland, extending during Saturday morning to adjacent inland areas and
north to Cape Leveque including Broome, and possibly west to Dampier.

Destructive winds to 160 kilometres per hour are possible between Port Hedland
and Bidyadanga after sunrise extending to the inland eastern Pilbara later in
the day. Very Destructive winds up to 230 kilometres per hour are forecast near
the cyclone centre.

As the cyclone moves further inland, gales should reach eastern Gascoyne areas,
adjacent Interior and far northern Goldfields on Sunday morning.

Heavy rainfall is expected near the west Kimberley coast and in coastal and
inland parts of the east Pilbara, extending into the east Gascoyne, western
Interior and northern Goldfields later on Saturday and during Sunday.

Residents of Port Hedland and east to Bidyadanga are specifically warned of the
very dangerous storm tide expected as the cyclone centre approaches the coast.
Tides are likely to rise significantly above the normal high tide mark with
damaging waves and very dangerous flooding.

Heavy surf conditions are also expected along the west Kimberley coast during
Saturday.

FESA-State Emergency Service advises of the following community alerts:

RED ALERT: People in coastal communities between Wallal and Port Hedland,
including Wallal, 80 Mile Beach, Sandfire, Pardoo, Port Hedland and South
Hedland need to go to shelter immediately.

YELLOW ALERT: People in remaining communities between Broome and Whim Creek
including Bidyadanga, Warralong, Yande Yarra, Marble Bar and adjacent pastoral
and mining leases need to take action and get ready to shelter from a cyclone.

BLUE ALERT: People in coastal communities between Whim Creek and Dampier
including Karratha, Dampier, Roebourne, Wickham and Point Samson as well as
inland communities including Nullagine, Newman and Jigalong and surrounding
pastoral and mining leases need to prepare for cyclonic weather and organise an
emergency kit including first aid kit, torch, portable radio, spare batteries,
food and water.

Remaining communities between Broome and Cape Leveque and in the inland eastern
Pilbara, east Gascoyne and western Interior should listen for the next advice.


Details of Severe Tropical Cyclone Lua at 2:00 am WST:
.Centre located near...... 17.6 degrees South 118.8 degrees East
.Location accuracy........ within 45 kilometres
.Recent movement.......... towards the east southeast at 20 kilometres per hour
.Wind gusts near centre... 205 kilometres per hour and INTENSIFYING
.Severity category........ 3
.Central pressure......... 954 hectoPascals

The next advice will be issued by 6:00 am WST Saturday 17 March.

Cyclone advices and State Emergency Service Community Alerts are available by
dialling 1300 659 210

A map showing the track of the cyclone is available at:
http://www.bom.gov.au/cyclone

Oops looks like my eyes are playing up

nice eye appearing on radar!!:)http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDR151.loop.shtml#skip

The radar images are very hard to read thats for sure

Radar is looking good. We might actually be inline for some rain in the next half hour with that band headed for us!

Have fun Hedland guys.....wish I was the one with today off instead of my 4am start!! lol


It's going to majorly suck is 80 Mile Caravan Park gets hit, they have only just got trees etc growing again and it's a really nice spot! Biggest problem is the wind will relocate the dunes again, straight into the Park!

Also Rowley Shoals showing wind gusts at 139km/h, so going to be interesting to watch the obs as they come in too. Also the pressure is down to 939.3

Rowley Shoals has not reported since 3:00am (and probably will not again). Those 139km/hr winds were sustained not gusts Karratha Pilotdude.

The location of TC's crossing really effects the interest/numbers of forum members. I remember in the lead up to Yasi just how many were on and blocking the forum. Now we only have a handful of interested members.

The eye is definitely looking good. Looks like Port Hedland is getting more of hit than Broome - to be expected given the location of Lua. Mind you I wouldn't want to be in either location at present.

Its like a Cape Canaveral liftoff, we are on a countdown to a historical event

She's looking MASSIVE and SOLID on the Satellite images - whew

Good luck and stay safe everybody over there today - thinking of you from NQ

Just woke up and checked on thinngs and WOW Rowley gets a reading of 939hpa. Gotta wonder at her chances of making cat5 after seeing that.I would say everyone from Pardoo north be wary but especially from Wallal north. Cable beach will look very different tomorrow morning.

Hi All those online
I lived in Port Hedland for seven years in Point Cooke. I know the excitement and the stress of waiting, particularly on red alert when you can't go in the streets.
Haven't heard from Oz Cyclone Chasers since their last update on 16th on the way to La Grange. Hope they have communication out there so they can live stream.

Goodluck to all the WA crew who are about to go thru this monster! not that you will need it you are all built tough just like your houses!

Great swell this morning at Cable Beach:

http://broomecam.info/