Cyclone Ilsa, a severe tropical cyclone, has battered the coast of Western Australia with record-breaking winds. The cyclone landed between De Grey and Pardoo Roadhouse as a category 5 storm, which is equivalent to a category 4 Atlantic hurricane. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology reported that Ilsa's wind speeds broke previous records set more than a decade ago in the same area.
The cyclone had been brewing off the coast for several days before it made landfall. It has since weakened and is moving southeast across the state, bringing heavy rain and sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour (74 miles per hour).
Just before the cyclone hit the mainland, it passed over Bedout Island, an uninhabited island, where its sustained wind speeds reached 218 kph (135 mph) over a 10-minute period. The Bureau of Meteorology tweeted that Cyclone George was the previous record holder with 194 kph back in 2007 at the same location. Wind gusts on the island reached as high as 288 kph (179 mph) overnight.
It is yet unclear what damage the cyclone has caused in Western Australia. However, the winds had the potential to cause significant damage to trees, buildings, power lines