Cyclone sean: Warning issued to residents as tropical cyclone moves west parallel to the Pilbara coast

Western Australia has been hit with another blow. As Tropical Cyclone Sean washes over the northern coast, another part of the state has been rocked by a 3.8 magnitude earthquake. The cyclone began forming over the Pilbara coast on Thursday afternoon and has since been upgraded to a category 2 cyclone with sustained winds of 100km/h and gusts reaching speeds of 140km/h. Overnight, the cyclone battered the state’s north coast, bringing gale-force winds and heavy rain across Whim Creek to Ningaloo, including Karratha, Dampier, Onslow and Exmouth. Overnight, the strongest wind gusts recorded by the observing network were 113km/h in Barrow Island and Varanus Island. On Monday morning, the Bureau of Meteorology issued a warning to residents of northern Western Australia as the tropical cyclone moves west parallel to the Pilbara coast. As the cyclone strengthens, it is bringing with it damaging winds, thunderstorms and lashings of rain. The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) issued an emergency warning on Monday morning, telling residents from Barrow Island to Ningaloo to shelter in place, as it is “too late to leave”. “There is a threat to lives and homes. You are in danger and need to act immediately,” the DFES website read. Residents have been advised to stay in the “strongest, safest part of the building” while the gale-force winds batter the region, with the community urged to “stay away from doors and windows and keep them closed”. As the cyclone continues moving westwards, the bureau warned of heavy and locally intense rainfall that may lead to flash flooding between Roebourne, Mardie and the North West Cape on Monday morning. Destructive and damaging winds reaching speeds of 150km/h are possible across the North West Cape, with damaging gales of up to 120km/h occurring between Whim Creek and Ningaloo. With the strong winds comes a storm tide, bringing an increased water level and waves reaching up to 4m that may produce flooding along the foreshore. “People living in areas likely to be affected by this flooding should take measures to protect their property as much as possible and be prepared to help their neighbours,” a bureau statement read. Meanwhile, residents further south in WA’s Wheatbelt were rocked by an earthquake. About 11.15am on Sunday morning in Meckering, about 130km east of Perth, residents from Mundaring to Meckering reported a loud bang, while tremors could be felt all the way to the eastern suburbs of Perth. According to Geoscience Australia, the earthquake occurred 5m below ground, resulting in widespread tremors spanning across the state. A Geoscience Australia spokesperson told NewsWire the earthquake was an aftershock to the damaging 1968 earthquake that hit the same region for 40 seconds, reaching a 6.5 on the Richter scale and causing extensive damage to buildings and several injuries. While the 1968 earthquake in Meckering caused extensive damage to the town, there have been no reports of injuries or damage caused by the 3.8 magnitude earthquake on Sunday. “Meckering, back in 1968, had that magnitude 6.5 earthquake … since that large earthquake, it’s continued to see relatively high levels of activity,” the spokesperson told NewsWire. “This earthquake that we saw yesterday was a continuation of that … we would describe it as an aftershock.” Danielle Cara, a resident in Clackline – some 50km away from Meckering – told Perth Now of the “loud rumbling” she heard on Sunday morning. “My first thought was that it was the washing machine,” she told the outlet. “Then I realised I hadn’t started the washing machine, so my next thought was, ‘Oh wow, it’s an earthquake’.”