Tropical Cyclone Narelle devastates Western Australia’s Pilbara and Gascoyne regions
Consensus Summary
Tropical Cyclone Narelle made landfall in Western Australia on March 28, 2026, as a category 4 system after crossing Queensland and the Northern Territory, marking a rare event as the first cyclone in over 20 years to impact three states and territories. The storm caused catastrophic damage to Exmouth, a popular tourist town, with winds exceeding 250km/h tearing roofs off buildings, flooding streets, and obliterating the airport. Power and water supplies were cut, isolating the town as the main road was closed by floodwaters. The cyclone also disrupted Chevron’s Gorgon and Wheatstone LNG facilities, halting production, and caused extensive flooding in the Gascoyne and Lyons river catchments. Carnarvon’s banana plantations faced significant losses, with up to 50% of crops potentially destroyed by winds of 180-190km/h. The cyclone’s unusual path, fueled by record ocean temperatures linked to global heating, brought heavy rainfall and wind gusts up to 100km/h across inland regions as it weakened to a tropical low. Authorities reported around 2,000 homes without power, and emergency services worked to restore services while assessing damage. The cyclone’s impacts were widespread, with schools and national parks closed, flights cancelled, and residents urged to shelter indoors as the storm moved southward.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Cyclone Narelle made landfall in Western Australia as a category 4 system on March 28, 2026, after crossing Queensland and the Northern Territory.
- Exmouth, a tourist town 1,250km north of Perth, suffered severe damage with roofs torn off, power and water outages, and the airport 'obliterated' by winds exceeding 250km/h.
- Cyclone Narelle caused widespread flooding in the Lyons and Gascoyne river catchments, with water levels rising in Exmouth and Onslow due to rainfall totals of up to 100mm.
- Chevron’s Gorgon and Wheatstone LNG facilities experienced outages due to Cyclone Narelle, with production suspended at Wheatstone and one train halted at Gorgon.
- The cyclone disrupted power supplies to Exmouth and Carnarvon, leaving around 2,000 homes without electricity as of March 28-29, 2026.
- Cyclone Narelle was downgraded to a tropical low on March 29, 2026, but continued to bring heavy rainfall and wind gusts up to 100km/h across inland regions.
- The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) recorded wind gusts of up to 275km/h in Exmouth and rainfall exceeding 300mm at Learmonth air base during the cyclone’s peak.
- Carnarvon’s banana plantations faced significant damage, with Doriana Mangili estimating 50% of crops could be lost due to winds of 180-190km/h.
- The cyclone caused structural damage to the Exmouth evacuation centre, forcing 50 people to evacuate after wind damage to the building.
- Cyclone Narelle was the first system in over 20 years to make landfall as a tropical cyclone in three states/territories (Queensland, Northern Territory, WA).
- The cyclone’s path was highly unusual, traveling over 5,500km across Australia’s northern coast before reaching WA’s south coast.
- Exmouth’s main road into town was closed due to flooding, isolating the town and delaying recovery efforts.
- The BOM warned of dangerous storm tides along an 800km stretch of coastline between Onslow and Denham during the cyclone’s peak.
- Cyclone Narelle’s intensification was linked to record ocean temperatures in the Coral Sea, attributed to global heating by climate scientists.
- The cyclone’s eye passed directly over Coral Bay, causing damage to trees, buildings, and infrastructure, with winds reaching 160-180km/h.
- Schools and national parks across WA were closed, and flights to the Pilbara were cancelled as a precautionary measure.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The Guardian reported that Cyclone Narelle dumped a year’s worth of rain in a day across Western Australia, with 250km/h winds lashing coastal communities.
- The Guardian highlighted that the cyclone’s path was 'very unusual' and noted it was the first for 20 years to cross three states/territories, comparing it to Cyclones Ingrid (2005) and Steve (2000).
- The Guardian mentioned that the Water Corporation urged Exmouth residents to limit non-essential water use due to power outages affecting borefields.
- ABC reported that Exmouth resident Bluey Timewell lost nine solar panels and had roof damage, with water leaking into his home during the cyclone.
- ABC noted that Coral Bay resident Joe Eveson described the cyclone as one of the worst he had experienced, with horizontal rain and relentless winds.
- ABC highlighted that the S-Bend service station in Geraldton ran out of diesel multiple times in recent weeks, exacerbating concerns about fuel shortages during the cyclone.
- ABC reported that the Exmouth caravan park and campsites were mostly cleared before the cyclone, with only a few stragglers remaining.
- ABC mentioned that the federal emergency management minister, Kristy McBain, stated there were 'extensive power outages across Exmouth and Carnarvon in particular,' with around 2,000 homes without power.
- ABC noted that the cyclone’s eye passed 50 meters east of Carnarvon, sparing the town the brunt of the damage but still causing gusts of 100-150km/h.
- ABC reported that the BOM’s satellite images showed Cyclone Narelle had a clearly defined eye as it approached Exmouth, with sustained winds of 185km/h and gusts up to 260km/h.
- News.com.au reported that the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) issued a warning stating, 'You are in danger and need to act immediately,' urging residents to shelter indoors.
- News.com.au highlighted that banana growers in Carnarvon feared losing 50% of their crops due to winds of 180-190km/h, with Doriana Mangili stating, 'Unless something miraculous happens, we will probably have nothing left by Saturday.'
- News.com.au mentioned that the Shire of Exmouth president, Matt Niikkula, stated that Cyclone Mitchell a few weeks prior was 'just a practice run' compared to Narelle.
- SBS reported that Exmouth residents were forced to flee as emergency services expected 'significant damage' from the cyclone.
- SBS noted that the cyclone’s intensification to a category 5 system was feared but not confirmed by the BOM.
- The Guardian (Article 12) reported that the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, acknowledged the cyclone’s impacts were likely fuelled by global heating, citing record ocean temperatures in the Coral Sea.
- ABC (Article 19) reported that Cyclone Vance in 1999 caused 70% of buildings in Exmouth to be damaged, necessitating a large-scale rebuilding effort.
- ABC (Article 10) reported that the BOM warned of the possibility of bushfires in areas just outside the cyclone zone in the Pilbara region.
Where the reporting differs
Details that conflict, or appear in only some outlets:
- The Guardian (Article 1) states Cyclone Narelle weakened to a subtropical low after ripping through WA, while ABC (Article 4) reports it was downgraded to a tropical low as it tracked along the coast.
- ABC (Article 10) reports that Cyclone Narelle was downgraded to a category 2 system by the time it approached Carnarvon, but the Guardian (Article 1) states it was downgraded to a category 3 system near Geraldton and Geraldton again before weakening to a tropical low.
- ABC (Article 11) mentions that Cyclone Narelle was forecast to make landfall as a severe category 3 cyclone near Shark Bay, while the Guardian (Article 12) states it was expected to make landfall as a category 3 system between Coral Bay and Cape Cuvier near Carnarvon.
- ABC (Article 10) reports that the cyclone’s eye passed 50 meters east of Carnarvon, sparing the town the brunt of the damage, but the Guardian (Article 1) does not mention this specific detail about Carnarvon’s proximity to the eye.
- The Guardian (Article 1) states that about 50 people had to abandon the Exmouth evacuation centre due to wind damage, while ABC (Article 19) reports that around 40 people were sheltering there when it sustained roof damage.
Source Articles
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Cyclone Narelle tracking map: where is its path forecast to cross WA coast and will it reach Perth?
Track the path of Tropical Cyclone Narelle here as it approaches the Western Australia coast Tropical Cyclone Narelle forecast to pummel remote WA towns with wind gusts of up to 275km/h Follow the live BoM forecast track map for Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle Tropical Cyclone Narelle is forecast to make landfall in Western Australia on Friday night as a severe category 3 system. The massive storm hit far north Queensland last week, before moving over the Northern Territory and then continuing a
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Tracing Tropical Cyclone Narelle’s ‘very unusual’ path to hit Australia on three coastlines
It’s only the third storm system in recorded history to make landfall in three Australian jurisdictions – and the first in more than 20 years When it crossed the Western Australian coast on Friday afternoon, Tropical Cyclone Narelle became the first storm system in over 20 years to make landfall in three of Australia’s states and territories. In the preceding week, the severe storm has pummelled communities across far north Queensland and the Northern Territory. Continue reading...
Live: Ex-Cyclone Narelle downgraded, continues to track along West coast
The storm, which has already made landfall in Far North Queensland and the Northern Territory, is now impacting Western Australia.
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Destructive category four system is forecast to weaken when it crosses the WA coast late on Friday between Carnarvon and Kalbarri, bringing wind gusts up to 250km/h Cyclone Narelle forecast tracking map Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Tropical Cyclone Narelle – a severe storm that already has pummelled communities across far north Queensland and the Northern Territory – is expected to make landfall over Western Australia as a category three cyclone on Friday afternoo
‘Danger’: Cyclone Narelle bears down on WA coast
Emergency services have warned Tropical Cyclone Narelle is threatening lives and homes, with residents in Western Australia’s north coast told to act immediately, before the system makes landfall.
'You are in danger': Residents told to take shelter as Cyclone Narelle closes in
Residents on WA's West Pilbara coast are feeling the full force of Tropical Cyclone Narelle as it travels south as a category four system.
Live: Category four Tropical Cyclone Narelle barrels along the West Australian coast
The storm, which has already made landfall in Far North Queensland and the Northern Territory, is now impacting the west Pilbara coast.
Exmouth isolated and inundated in wake of Cyclone Narelle as Chevron works to restart stalled gas plants
Roofs torn off buildings in Exmouth, power lost and homes flooded Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Authorities were still working on Sunday to restore power to communities hit hard by Cyclone Narelle as a popular tourist town remained effectively cut off. After lashing coastal communities with 250km/h winds and dumping a year’s worth of rain in a day, the now-subtropical low again headed offshore after ripping through parts of Western Australia. Continue reading...
WA Coral Coast on alert as Cyclone Narelle intensifies
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WA coast 'pummelled' as Cyclone Narelle could reach category five on approach
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Western Australian residents forced to flee as cyclone brings destruction
The holiday town of Exmouth has already felt Tropical Cyclone Narelle's renewed force, with emergency services personnel expecting "significant damage."
Destructive cyclone wreaks havoc across WA
Tropical Cyclone Narelle has been downgraded after crossing WA’s coastline as a category three system, but emergency warnings remain in place as residents told there’s still a threat to lives and homes.
Cyclone Narelle downgraded to tropical low but severe weather warnings remain for storm-ravaged WA
Flash flooding threatens the wheatbelt region and Perth, as weather system expected to continue south-east from Geraldton on Saturday Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Ex-Tropical Cyclone Narelle was downgraded to a tropical low on Saturday morning after making landfall in Western Australia on Friday. Storm-ravaged communities were warned not to let their guard down, however, as residents along the state’s coastline prepared to assess the trail of damage along the Pilb
Track Cyclone Narelle's path and live wind speeds in WA
Track the path of Tropical Cyclone Narelle and monitor live wind speeds as it crosses the WA coast.
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