The WA Pilbara coast is now on Red Alert as Category Three Cyclone Rusty intensifies, packing winds of nearly 200km/h and threatening to wreak havoc.

WESTERN Australia's Pilbara coast remains on red alert as Cyclone Rusty has intensified to a menacing Category Four storm with 230km/h winds at its centre.

Residents between Pardoo and Whim Creek on WA's North West coast, including Port Hedland, are bracing for the worst as the destructive tropical cyclone bears down on the remote Pilbara communities.

Overnight Rusty has intensified to a Category four, remaining virtually stationary off the coast, about 130km north-east of Port Hedland as it continues to gather energy from the ocean.

Dozens of people who live in low-lying areas of Port Hedland have relocated as the large, slow-moving storm closes in on the town.

NASA's Terra satellite has taken images from space of Rusty as it approaches the coast, with satellite data reporting the storm developing an eye 20 nautical miles wide.

At 5am today, Cyclone Rusty was 130km north-northeast of Port Hedland and 290km east-northeast of Karratha and

was near stationary.

Port Hedland has been battered for nearly 24 hours with winds gusts up to 120km/h but there has been little major damage.

The cyclone is expected to move closer to the coast today, bringing increased gales.

Port Hedland has had 52mm of rain in the past 24 hours.t

However because of the size of the storm, gales are already occurring between the Sandfire Roadhouse and Whim Creek, while destructive winds extend from Port Hedland to Wallal.

The Bureau of Meteorology warns very destructive winds with gusts of more than 165km/h are likely to develop on the coast between Whim Creek and Pardoo today as Rusty approaches the coast.

PILBARA BATTENS DOWN

While Port Hedland and South Hedland residents have been urged to leave their homes immediately, the shire's deputy mayor, George Daccache, is bunkering down in his security screen-clad home.

A Port Hedland resident of 40 years, Mr Daccache has seen his fair share of wet season wild weather, but expects this cyclone will be one of the worst the town has ever seen.

“If something hits you at 150km/h, you’re going to feel it,” he said.

"This one's a bit of a beauty.''

With residents heeding warnings to stay safe, the streets are empty, as are supermarket shelves after a rush to prepare for Rusty's arrival.

"It's going to be a pain waiting for two to three days for this to come and go,'' Mr Daccache said.

"We've just to hang in there hour by hour, and batten down the hatches.''

Mr Daccache said he was most concerned about an expected storm tide, which threatens to inundate the lower-lying western part of the town.

Many homes had lost power, but most residents were staying at emergency shelters.

EMERGENCY MEASURES

The Andrew McLaughlin Community Centre in Keesing Street in Port Hedland has been opened for people who are forced from their homes.

In Port Hedland, shops were being sandbagged as water and tinned food flew off the shelves.

Bottleshops were reporting big queues as locals prepared for Rusty's arrival. Port Hedland's airport was shut at 9pm yesterday, with all commercial flights cancelled.

The port has also shut down for at least the rest of the week.

Mining giant Rio Tinto said it had prepared for the storm by closing the Port Walcott port at Cape Lambert and was finishing up ship-loading at its Dampier ports.

Virgin cancelled flights from Perth to Broome today, and local businesses reported people were dashing to buy water and tinned food as the storm approached.

FLOOD WARNINGS

The BOM says TC Rusty's slow movement is likely to result in rainfall that is heavier than that associated with a typical tropical cyclone.

Widespread very heavy rainfall tonight and tomorrow is likely to lead to major flooding in the De Grey catchment, while flooding is also likely in the Fortescue catchment and in Pilbara coastal streams.

TC Rusty's intensity, size and slow movement is also likely to lead to a dangerous storm tide as the cyclone centre nears the coast, which could include damaging waves and dangerous coastal inundation.

WIDESPREAD DOWNPOURS



Pardoo Roadhouse, about 140km east of Port Hedland, has recorded a massive 200mm in 24 hours to 9am today and has also been buffeted by strong winds.

Bidyadanga, north-east of Broome, had 137mm to 9am this morning and stations throughout the Kimberley have recorded in excess of 200mm in recent days.

Pardoo Roadhouse manager Ian Badger told ABC radio it had been raining steadlily since yesterday. He said there had already been minor flooding and about six trees had been blown down.

"Everything is pretty wet, the whole yard is covered with water, it is like a lake everywhere. There is a little bit of water coming in (the roadhouse) and half a dozen trees have already come down,'' he said.

"It is not going to be good, this one.''

CYCLONE WARNING DETAILS

A Cyclone WARNING is current for coastal areas from Bidyadanga to Mardie, and adjacent inland areas of the Pilbara, including Marble Bar, Nullagine and Millstream.

A Cyclone WATCH is current for adjacent inland areas of the Pilbara including Tom Price, Newman and Telfer.



DFES State Emergency Service advises of the following community alerts:

RED ALERT: People in or near communities between Pardoo and Whim Creek, including Port Hedland and South Hedland need to go to shelter immediately.

YELLOW ALERT: People in communities between Wallal and Pardoo, need to take action and get ready to shelter from a cyclone.

BLUE ALERT: People in communities between Bidyadanga and Wallal and between Whim Creek and Mardie, including Karratha and extending to adjacent inland areas including Marble Bar, Nullagine and Millstream, need to prepare for cyclonic weather and organise an emergency kit including first aid kit, torch, portable radio, spare batteries, food and water.

NOTE: The State Emergency Service advises that Marble Bar is expected to go to Yellow Alert at 1800 WST.



Details of Severe Tropical Cyclone Rusty at 5am WST:

.Centre located near...... 19.3 degrees South 119.2 degrees East

.Location accuracy........ within 30 kilometres

.Recent movement.......... near stationary

.Wind gusts near centre... 230 kilometres per hour and INTENSIFYING

.Severity category........ 4

.Central pressure......... 945 hectoPascals

SECOND STORM BREWS

Meanwhile, a second potential cyclone was developing to the southeast of the Cocos Islands this morning. It will be named Sandra if it becomes a cyclone, however it is unlikely to affect the Cocos Islands.

Channel 9's Sally Ayhan on what Perth can expect from Cyclone Rusty

SCHOOL CLOSURES



Several schools will remain closed for the rest of the week, including:

• Hedland Senior High School

• Port Hedland Primary School

• Port Hedland School of the Air

• Cassia Primary School

• Cassia Education Support Centre

• Baler Primary School

• South Hedland Primary School

• Pilbara Behaviour Centre.



Three other schools have also been closed due to the risk of flooding:

• Yandeyarra Remote Community School (in the Shire of Port Hedland)

• Marble Bar Primary School (in the Shire of East Pilbara)

• Nullagine Primary School (in the Shire of East Pilbara).