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(CNN) Cyclone Ilsa slammed into the remote coast of Western Australia around midnight local time on Thursday with wind speeds that broke the previous record set at the same location more than a decade ago.
Cyclone Ilsa made landfall as a Category 5 storm between De Gray and Pardoo Roadhouse after several days of coastal formation, according to the Australian Department of Meteorology. This corresponds to a Category 4 Atlantic hurricane.
The cyclone has since weakened and moved southeast across the state, bringing heavy rainfall and sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour (74 miles per hour).
Just before hitting the mainland, Ilsa zipped over Bedout Island, a small uninhabited island. There, her sustained wind speed reached 218 kph (135 mph) in her ten minutes.
“Cyclone George was the record holder for 194 km/h in the exact same place in 2007!” BOM tweeted. Wind gusts on the seabird breeding island reached 288 kilometers (179 miles) per hour overnight.
It’s not yet clear what damage the cyclone caused to Western Australia, but the winds could have caused significant damage to trees, buildings, power lines and other infrastructure.
Early Friday morning, “heavy damage” was reported at Pardu Roadhouse, a popular destination for travelers on the coastal highway. Authorities had planned to survey the damage from above when the helicopter was safe to fly.
Authorities had warned residents to tie up caravans, trampolines, trailers and anything else that might fly in high winds.
“Winds of this magnitude are extremely dangerous. Not only can they topple trees and power lines and damage roofs and homes, they can also lift large, loose objects such as boats, trailers and caravans out of your yard and You can lift it into the courtyard, air,” warned BOM’s senior meteorologist Miriam Bradbury.
Coastal areas were placed under emergency alert as a storm approached on Thursday. This meant that people had to stay where they were and evacuate in buildings far enough away from windows and doors.
Shelters were opened for people brought from remote communities at risk of being blown away by the wind or cut off by debris and flooding. The area is home to the state’s largest Aboriginal community, as well as cowsheds, quarries and tourist businesses.
strong wind Felt along the coastline a few hours ago As an emergency service, Ilsa’s predicted landing begged Lock anything that might fly.
Cyclone Ilsa is also expected to bring as much as 200-300mm of rain to the region, according to the BOM, putting large swaths of the state under flood monitoring.
“River flooding can have a significant impact on roads and access routes, with many roads becoming muddy or even inaccessible in the coming days,” Bradbury said.
The strongest storm ever to hit Australia was Cyclone Monica, which hit eastern and northern Australia in 2006 with winds of 290 kilometers per hour (180 miles per hour).
Although the cyclone did not reach densely populated areas, it knocked down trees and caused severe damage to vegetation along with storm surges up to 6 meters high.
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