Tropical Cyclone Narelle LIVE updates: Tropical Cyclone Narelle downgraded to category 2

The latest track map shows the eye of Tropical Cyclone Narelle will begin moving over Carnarvon as a category 2 system later this evening.

It means the cyclone has officially been downgraded from a category 3 storm.

It is currently 55 kilometres northeast of Carnarvon, and is moving quickly to the south-southeast where it is expected to weaken further.

The Bureau of Meteorology said Narelle will still likely pack a punch with destructive wind and significant rainfall, and gusts near its centre are expected to reach 125km/hr by the time it gets to Carnarvon.

The Shire of Carnarvon has issued a warning to all residents to stay inside as the town switches onto red alert.

The warning is also active for anyone south of Exmouth to Jurien Bay, including Exmouth, Coral Bay, Carnarvon, Denham and Geraldton, and extending inland to Murchison and Dalwallinu.

Tropical Cyclone Narelle has now downgraded to a category 2 system.

We will be back tomorrow with live updates.

To recap today’s events:

• The Bureau of Meteorology said Narelle is now officially a category 2 system, and is travelling in a southerly direction inland.
• It is no longer at sea, meaning it will rapidly lose strength.
• Carnarvon is next in the firing line, a red alert active for south of Coral Bay to Overlander Roadhouse including coastal islands, for west of Onslow to Coral Bay, and for south of Overlander Roadhouse to Binnu. Authorities are warning residents to stay inside as the destructive wind passes through, and to be on the lookout for any flooding or storm surges.
• It is expected to track east of Kalbarri and Geraldton throughout the evening, but its path may change.
• Towns up the Mid West and Pilbara coast are beginning to assess the damage, with residents reporting lost roofs, fallen trees, loss of power and boats that have been sunk.
• More than 2500 customers are without power across the Mid West and Pilbara.

Watch 9News Perth for more updates throughout the evening, and please keep an eye on the Emergency WA website for information.

If your power goes down, please tune in to your local frequency for rolling updates.

The latest track map shows the eye of Tropical Cyclone Narelle will begin moving over Carnarvon as a category 2 system later this evening.

It means the cyclone has officially been downgraded from a category 3 storm.

It is currently 55 kilometres northeast of Carnarvon, and is moving quickly to the south-southeast where it is expected to weaken further.

The Bureau of Meteorology said Narelle will still likely pack a punch with destructive wind and significant rainfall, and gusts near its centre are expected to reach 125km/hr by the time it gets to Carnarvon.

The Shire of Carnarvon has issued a warning to all residents to stay inside as the town switches onto red alert.

The warning is also active for anyone south of Exmouth to Jurien Bay, including Exmouth, Coral Bay, Carnarvon, Denham and Geraldton, and extending inland to Murchison and Dalwallinu.

Exmouth Hospital’s generator has gone down after the impact of Tropical Cyclone Narelle.

Many businesses in the Mid West and Pilbara are running off of generators as thousands of homes remain without power into the evening.

It is understood the generator went down on Friday morning.

“Extreme weather has temporarily affected an automatic switch over but business continuity plans are in place and power supply is available to essential areas of the hospital,” a WA Country Health spokesperson said.

“Importantly, patient care is not impacted.“

A manual switch over of the power system will happen once authorities lift the emergency alert currently active for the region.

A number of roads are closed thanks to the impacts of Tropical Cyclone Narelle.

These include:

• Burkett Road at North West Coastal Highway.
• Minilya Exmouth Road at North West Coastal Highway.
• Coral Bay Road from Minilya Exmouth Road.
• North West Coastal Highway from Blowholes Road to Burkett Road.
• North West Coastal Hwy between Robinson Street and Ajana East Road and Kalbarri Road, Carnarvon to Ajana.
• Shark Bay Road from North West Coastal Highway to Denham
• Monkey Mia Road from Denham to Monkey Mia
• North West Coastal Highway from Carnarvon townsite to Ajana–Kalbarri Road

A number of roads will be closed from 6pm tonight, including:

• Midlands Road from Moora to Brand Highway (for traffic approaching Geraldton).
• Indian Ocean Drive northbound from Ocean Place to Brand Highway.
• North West Coastal Highway from Carnarvon to Ajana–Kalbarri Road (northbound).
• Brand Highway northbound from Gingin Brook Road, Gingin to Geraldton.
• Geraldton–Mount Magnet Road westbound from Great Northern Highway to Geraldton (for traffic approaching Geraldton).

The winds from Tropical Cyclone Narelle have stirred up red dust in the Pilbara and Gascoyne to create eerie scenes in Carnarvon.

Narelle is makings its steady approach to the town, and is about to hit Carnarvon as a category 3 system.

Residents report the town has been bathed in red dirt as the wind stirs up the coast, blanketing the town.

The Bureau of Meteorology has warned severe impacts are expected at Carnarvon this afternoon as Narelle approaches.

Tropical Cyclone Narelle has crossed the coast south of Coral Bay, and is now over land where it is expected to lose steam.

It is about 55 kilometres south of Coral Bay and 140 kilometres north of Carnarvon, and winds near the centre are clocking in about 150km/h. Gusts have gotten as high as 205km/h.

The bureau said while severe impacts were still expected in Carnarvon this afternoon, it should begin to rapidly weaken as it moved inland throughout Saturday.

Conditions are slowly easing in Exmouth, but destructive wind gusts are still impacting south of the town.