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Red alerts have been
issued in WA as tropical cyclone Rusty intensifies to a category four. (Photo: Telukharunews)
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By Tim
Clarke From: AAP February 27, 2013 2:19PM
RESIDENTS of Western
Australia's northwest coast are being told to expect Severe Tropical Cyclone
Rusty to arrive on Wednesday evening - and to prepare for a prolonged
battering.
The category four
cyclone is still edging towards the towns of Port Hedland, South Hedland and
Pardoo, bringing with it the likelihood of 230km/h winds, a massive storm tide
and torrential rain.
Residents already under
red alert lockdown for more than 24 hours have been told they may have to stay
sheltered until at least Friday, with floods and winds set to leave a trail of
destruction across the Pilbara.
Figures from NASA
satellites tracking the monster storm are frightening - their Atmospheric
Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument shows thunderstorms with cloud top
temperatures colder than minus 52 degrees surrounding the eye of the storm.
The TRMM satellite,
which flew directly over Rusty on Tuesday, recorded rainfall of over 138mm per
hour near Rusty's western eye wall.
And a 3-D image of
Rusty's rainfall and cloud heights created at the Goddard Space Flight Center
in Maryland showed the tops of some of the towering thunderstorms in Rusty's
eye reaching heights of over 12km.
Port Hedland deputy
mayor George Daccache says the winds and rain are relentless.
"It is pretty
windy, and it has been relentless for the past two or three days. I don't see
us having any sunshine for a while," Mr Daccache said.
"We are riding out
the storm the best we can but we have been on alert since last Friday and looks
like we will be on red for another day or so.
"The storm surge is
our biggest worry. We are going to cop our fair share. We are doing the best to
make sure the town is secure."
Rusty sat almost
stationary overnight, 130km north-northeast of Port Hedland, with the exact
crossing location and time still a mystery.
Forecasters are
confident it will cross the Pilbara coast on Wednesday evening.
"It is important
that residents understand that dangerous conditions will commence well before
the system centre reaches the coast and extend some distance from the
centre," Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Neil Bennett said.
The last severe cyclone
to cross the Pilbara coast was Lua in March 2012, which travelled between
Pardoo and Wallal as a category four, with maximum gusts of 230km/h.
Ian Badger, the manager
of Pardoo Roadhouse, has told ABC radio his staff have been sent to Broome and
he is braving the storm on his own.
"Everything is
pretty wet, the whole yard is covered with water, it is like a lake
everywhere," Mr Badger said.
Rainfall totals to 9am
(WST) on Wednesday include 189mm at Yarrie, with the De Grey River catchment
expected to experience totals in excess of 200mm.
Port Hedland personality
Wayne Ness lost his house to a cyclone in 2007, when category-five George
ripped through the area, killing two people at a rail construction camp.
"Yesterday morning
I heard a familiar sound of rippling tin," Mr Ness said.
"My heart was
palpitating like you wouldn't believe and I had the shakes really bad."
Severe
Tropical Cyclone Rusty
Last reported position
as of 2013-02-27 T08:00
Storm Type : Severe
Tropical Cyclone
Storm Name : Rusty
Storm Number : 2010-10U
(South Indian)
Storm Movement :Southeast
(125 degrees)
Mean Sea Level Pressure
: 945 mb
Maximum sustained winds:
90 knots (103.6 mph)
Source: PERTH
TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING CENTRE
World
Meteorological Organization
