Powerful Cyclone Ilsa lashes Australia’s northwest coast

Canberra: Australia’s most powerful tropical cyclone in eight years lashed its northwest coast with winds gusting to an apparent record of 289 kilometres (180 miles) per hour Friday but skirted larger population centres and resulted in no immediate reports of injuries.

Cyclone Ilsa crossed the Pilbara coast of Western Australia state as a Category 5 storm, the most severe, but weakened to Category 2 as it moved inland, Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology said.

Damage was still being assessed in the path of Ilsa, which made landfall in the early hours 150 kilometres (93 miles) northeast of the iron ore export town of Port Hedland in the rural area of Pardoo.

Pardoo had a population of 47 in the latest census and the Pardoo Roadhouse and Tavern was destroyed. The two owners stayed throughout the storm and were unharmed, emergency officials said.

“They’ve had a pretty uncomfortable, challenging night,” Department of Fire and Emergency Services Superintendent Peter McCarthy said.

Beyond Pardoo, Acting Emergency Services Minister Sue Ellery described the storm damage as “fairly minimal.”

Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Klemm said he was relieved that Ilsa had shifted toward Pardoo after tracking from the Indian Ocean toward Port Hedland, the world’s largest bulk export port that sends Australian iron ore around the globe.

Port Hedland has 16,000 residents and is the largest Pilbara city.