Source: Bureau of Meteorology

Issued at 5:47 am WST on Saturday 24 January 2026

Headline:
Tropical Cyclone Luana to cross the northwest Kimberley coast today as a category 2 system.

Areas Affected:
Warning zone: Broome to Kuri Bay, including Derby and adjacent inland areas.

Watch zone: Bidyadanga to Broome and adjacent inland area.

Cancelled zone: Between Kuri Bay and Mitchell Plateau.

Details of Tropical Cyclone Luana 16U at 5:00 am AWST:
Intensity: Category 1, sustained winds near the centre of 75 kilometres per hour with wind gusts to 100 kilometres per hour.

Location: within 35 kilometres of 16.1 degrees South 121.8 degrees East, estimated to be 210 kilometres north northwest of Broome and 125 kilometres west northwest of Cape Leveque.
Movement: east southeast at 22 kilometres per hour.

Tropical Cyclone Luana has formed and is forecast to intensify to a category 2 system prior to making landfall on the northwest Kimberley coast later today.
The most likely crossing location is between north of Broome and Cockatoo Island.

After landfall over the Dampier Peninsula, Luana may move back over the waters of King Sound where it is forecast to maintain category 2 intensity until making landfall again near Derby. It will weaken and be below tropical cyclone strength during Sunday morning after moving further inland.

Hazards:
DESTRUCTIVE WIND GUSTS to 140 km/h may develop near the system centre between Beagle Bay and Cockatoo Island today as the system approaches and moves over the coast.

GALES with DAMAGING WIND GUSTS to 120 km/h are possible between Beagle Bay and Kuri Bay from early this morning. Gales may extend south to Derby and towards Broome this afternoon, and to adjacent inland areas overnight tonight. The risk of the system taking a track further west is decreasing, though if it does gales may extend from Broome to Bidyadanga later today.

HEAVY RAINFALL which may lead to FLASH FLOODING is possible for the northwest Kimberley district, including the coast and adjacent inland areas today.

Coastal residents within King Sound are specifically warned of the potential for a DANGEROUS STORM TIDE as the cyclone passes over the Sound. Tides are likely to rise significantly above the normal high tide, with DAMAGING WAVES and DANGEROUS FLOODING.

Tides will be higher than normal between Beagle Bay and Kuri Bay today and LARGE WAVES may produce MINOR FLOODING of low-lying coastal areas as the system crosses the coast.

Recommended Action:
Ensure you know what to do in a cyclone. For the latest DFES community alerts and warnings visit www.emergency.wa.gov.au or download the Emergency WA app.


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