After lingering off the coast for days, the storm broke between De Gray and Pardoo Roadhouse
Cyclone Ilsa slammed into a remote stretch of coast in northwestern Australia around midnight yesterday local time, with gusts of up to 289km per hour breaking previous records set more than 10 years ago at the same location . After lingering off the coast for days, the cyclone made its way between De Gray and Pardoo Roadhouse as a Category 5 storm, according to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, the equivalent of a Category 4 Atlantic hurricane.
Ilsa has subsequently weakened and is moving southeast across the state, bringing heavy rains and winds of 120 kilometers per hour. Just before hitting the mainland, the cyclone flew over Bedout Island, a tiny uninhabited island, where wind speeds reached 218 km/h for 10 minutes.
It is not yet clear what damage the cyclone inflicted on Western Australia, although the winds could cause significant damage to trees, buildings, power lines and other infrastructure.
Source-www.adnkronos.com