Described as the strongest storm to make landfall in a decade as Elsa, the hurricane is currently developing off the coast of Western Australia. With winds of 250 kilometers per hour, the storm is strong enough to lift campers into the air.
The storm is expected to make landfall overnight Thursday through Friday (local time), somewhere between Broome and Port Hedland. On Thursday evening, Elsa will already reach a wind force of 250 kilometers per hour. “Winds of this force can not only knock down trees and power lines, but also lift things out of the garden and home. Like caravans and trampolines,” Miriam Bradbury, a BOM meteorologist, told CNN.
Therefore, local authorities warn residents not to tie up all loose objects. Tourists are advised to steer clear of the expected path of the storm. Meanwhile, people are rushing to the supermarket to stock up on food and other supplies.
Seven hurricanes last year
Tornadoes are most common on the west coast of Australia. Last year, BOM scored seven. Darren Clem, a firefighter and commissioner of emergency services for Western Australia, told CNN it’s been a decade since a hurricane of this magnitude made landfall. In Australia, a five-level system is used to indicate the intensity of tropical cyclones. Divided into four, Ilsa is the second-heaviest class.
The north coast of Western Australia has been hit by thirteen Category 4 storms since the 1960s. Tropical Cyclone Elsa can be compared to Hurricane Lawrence in 2009, which hit a similar location with winds of 150 mph. The strongest storm to hit this part of Australia was Tropical Cyclone Monica in 2006.
Australia has experienced a series of natural disasters in recent years. Parts of New South Wales and Queensland were hit by floods last year.
Watch our news videos in the playlist below:
Unlimited free access to Showbytes? which can!
Log in or create an account and never miss a thing from the stars.
