Cyclone Ilsa threatens to hit Western Australia as strongest storm in a decade

A major cyclone is intensifying off the coast of Western Australia with warnings that it could be the most powerful storm to make landfall in the area in more than a decade with winds strong enough to lift camper vans.

Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said Cyclone Ilsa is expected to make landfall late Thursday night or early Friday, somewhere between the towns of Broome and Port Hedland, a major port hub for the export of iron ore.

The storm is expected to generate wind gusts of more than 250 kilometers per hour (155 miles per hour) by Thursday evening, equivalent to a Category 4 or 5 hurricane in the US.

“Winds of this strength not only have the ability to bring down trees and power lines but lift items from your yard and home – caravans, trampolines,” said BOM’s senior meteorologist Miriam Bradbury.

Local authorities warned residents to tie down anything that could become airborne in strong winds.

Tourists staying along the portion of coast between Broome and Port Hedland have been told to move from the projected path of the storm. Others have rushed to supermarkets to stock up on food and other supplies.