Australia's Bureau of Meteorology has issued warnings that Cyclone Ilsa, which is currently intensifying off the coast of Western Australia, could be the most powerful storm to hit the area in over a decade. With wind gusts expected to reach over 250 kilometers per hour, equivalent to a Category 4 or 5 hurricane in the US, local authorities have warned residents to tie down anything that could become airborne.
Tourists along the coast have been told to move out of the projected path of the storm, while the Pilbara Port Authority has cleared boats from all berths in the inner harbor of the Port Hedland port. The storm is expected to make landfall late on Thursday or early Friday.