Follow our live coverage here.
Follow our live coverage here.
Port Hedland has copped an absolute drenching overnight, with 67 millimetres of rain falling within 12 hours to 7am as the Pilbara region prepares for Tropical Cyclone Zelia, expected to make landfall as a category 3 on Friday.
The Bureau of Meteorology predicts damaging wind gusts up to 120 kilometres an hour may develop along the coast between Broome and Port Hedland later today, with those gusts increasing to up to 160 kilometres an hour tomorrow between Bidyadanga and Port Hedland.
Heavy rain and flash flooding is also expected, with a flood watch alert already in place.
“Residents between Port Hedland and Bidyadanga are specifically warned of the potential of a dangerous storm tide as the cyclone centre crosses the coast,” the BOM alert read.
“Tides are likely to rise significantly above the normal high tide mark with damaging waves and dangerous flooding.”
The mining town’s port has already been cleared.
A cyclone emergency warning on Valentine’s Day could confine residents to their homes, turning a dinner date for two into a night in sheltering from the storm.
Here’s what’s making news this morning:
Mostly sunny today with a top of 26 degrees.
Good morning readers, and welcome to our live news blog for Wednesday, February 12.
Making headlines today, property experts are homing in on a particular data point they believe shows the Perth market is cooling.
Cooling, that is, from “a white-hot market to a red-hot market”.
It’s all based on fresh data showing the median time for a home to be on market rising to 15 days over the three months to January.
So what does that mean for buyers – and sellers?
Sarah Brookes has the latest, you can read her report here.
Meanwhile, WA’s Samantha Kerr says she wants to put a “challenging period” behind her after a British jury cleared her of racially aggravated harassment towards a UK police officer in a unanimous verdict last night.
Read more on the verdict and Kerr’s full statement here.
And in case you missed it, here is the wrap from day 2 of the murder trial against four people accused of killing Perth teenager, Cassius Turvey.
Our court reporter Rebecca Peppiatt will be in court again today to bring you the latest updates.
Thank you for joining us and stay tuned as we bring you more news you need to know.