Source: Bureau of Meteorology

Issued at 2:59 pm WST on Saturday 7 February 2026

Headline:
Tropical Cyclone Mitchell (21U), is forecast to reach severe category 3 cyclone as it passes just north of Karratha later today and then along the west Pilbara coast on Sunday.

Areas Affected:
Warning zone: Port Hedland to Coral Bay, including Port Hedland, Karratha, Onslow, and Exmouth, and extending inland through the western Pilbara to include Pannawonica.

Watch zone: Coral Bay to Carnarvon and adjacent inland areas.

Cancelled zone: De Grey to Port Hedland

Details of Tropical Cyclone Mitchell 21U at 2:00 pm AWST:
Intensity: Category 2, sustained winds near the centre of 110 kilometres per hour with wind gusts to 155 kilometres per hour.
Location: within 35 kilometres of 19.4 degrees South 117.5 degrees East, estimated to be 165 kilometres north northeast of Karratha and 150 kilometres northwest of Port Hedland.
Movement: west southwest at 16 kilometres per hour.

Tropical Cyclone Mitchell (21U) is intensifying north northeast of Karratha and forecast to reach category 3 later today with further intensification possible overnight.

Mitchell is forecast to move to the southwest closer to the Pilbara coast this evening and pass north of Karratha tonight, and then track close to the west Pilbara coast during Sunday before taking a more southerly track over land during Monday.

Hazards:
VERY DESTRUCTIVE WIND GUSTS to 220 km/h are possible over the coastal parts of the Pilbara around Karratha, Dampier and Wickham tonight especially if Mitchell moves closer than forecast, extending to Onslow during Sunday as the destructive core of Mitchell moves along the coast.

DESTRUCTIVE WIND GUSTS to 160 km/h are forecast around Karratha, Dampier and Wickham from this evening, extending west towards Onslow during Sunday and possibly Exmouth Sunday night.

GALES with DAMAGING WIND GUSTS to 125 km/h are possible along the coastal parts between Port Hedland and Dampier, extending west to Onslow and Exmouth and through inland parts of the western Pilbara, including Pannawonica, .

Widespread moderate to HEAVY RAINFALL which may lead to FLASH FLOODING is likely from later today with this risk persisting through the weekend for the central and west Pilbara coast, extending to the west Gascoyne region on Monday. Local areas of INTENSE rainfall leading to SEVERE FLASH FLOODING may develop around the central Pilbara coast west of Wickham overnight and Sunday morning.

ABNORMALLY HIGH TIDES could cause SERIOUS FLOODING in the Karratha region early Sunday morning, and then in the Onslow region on the Sunday afternoon.

Elsewhere on the west Pilbara coast including Exmouth, tides are likely to rise above the normal high tide mark on Saturday and Sunday which may produce FLOODING of low-lying coastal areas.

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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