Cyclone Sean is not expected to make landfall but will bring with it damaging winds up to 120km/h for the Pilbara coast.
Cyclone Sean is not expected to make landfall but will bring with it damaging winds up to 120km/h for the Pilbara coast.
By Claire Ottaviano
January 18, 2025 — 1.53pm
The coastal towns of Port Headland, Karratha, Onslow and Exmouth are on flood watch with a tropical low expected to intensify into a category one tropical cyclone.
While the cyclone is not expected to make landfall, wind gusts of up to 120km/h and between 50 to 100mm of rain is predicted along the Pilbara coast.
Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Luke Huntington said gale force winds were likely along the coast between De Grey and Ningaloo from Sunday afternoon.
“We’re pretty confident that it will stay offshore, and it’ll probably reach category two offshore from Exmouth late Sunday or early Monday,” he said.
“In terms of rainfall we’re looking at around 50 to 100mm just along that Pilbara coastline from today right through until Monday.
“Some of that could fall over a short period of time and when that does happen you can get that flash flooding.”
If the tropical low does develop into a cyclone, it will be named Sean.
Residents have been warned to prepare for the conditions, tie down loose items and stay away from floodwaters.
Meanwhile, large parts of western and southern WA can expect extreme weather conditions ranging in the high 30s to low 40s from Sunday.
“That severe heatwave will cover much of the south-west land division, and it’s going to probably be quite prolonged,” Huntington said.
“It will likely last throughout next week.”
Severe heatwave conditions will persist over the South Interior and develop further across much of the southern half of the state later this weekend and into next week.
Locations likely to be impacted include Perth Metropolitan Area, Bunbury, Carnarvon, Katanning, Manjimup, Merredin, Mandurah, Morawa, Narrogin and Northam.
Minimum temperatures are expected to remain in the high 20s.
Claire Ottaviano is a breaking news journalist with WAtoday, and has extensive experience in local government reporting.