Rain and gale force winds are pummelling a stretch of Western Australian coastline in the state's north with Tropical Cyclone Damien expected to make landfall later this afternoon.

Key points: Damien will be the most destructive cyclone to cross the WA coast since 2013

Damien will be the most destructive cyclone to cross the WA coast since 2013 It is likely to hit just east of Karratha, a major population centre in the region

It is likely to hit just east of Karratha, a major population centre in the region A red alert has been issued ahead of the storm's arrival on Saturday afternoon

A red alert is in place for areas in WA's Pilbara region which is bracing for severe, destructive winds, torrential rainfall and storm surges after Damien, one of the strongest systems forecast to cross the coast in recent years, intensified overnight.

James Crow from the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre in the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said the latest projections had the system crossing the coast as a category four — the second-highest classification — on Saturday afternoon.

He said the major city of Karratha remained in the sights of the cyclone.

"We expect the system to intensify today and cross the coast around Karratha-Dampier on Saturday afternoon," Mr Crow said.

"At this stage we're looking at a category four system, which could produce very destructive wind gusts in the order of 250 kilometres per hour, so things are going to blow around and there's potentially heavy rainfall and storm surges associated with the system."

Tropical Cyclone Damien made landfall on Saturday afternoon. ( Supplied: Windy.com )

"The other risk people need to be aware of is the storm surge, depending on the timing of the system.

"So if we get the cyclone and the strongest winds arriving at the time of that high tide then that's when we are at the greatest risk of seeing the storm surge."

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) warned the winds have already picked up.

"We are recording some gusts up to 100 kilometres an hour, around the coastal area, around Karratha at the moment." DFES spokesman Matt Folini said.

Damien will be the first severe cyclone to cross the Karratha and Port Hedland area since Cyclone Christine in late December 2013.

Perth to escape cyclone rain

BOM duty forecaster Luke Huntington said it was unlikely Damien would further intensify to category five — the most severe level.

Rainfall in the region could be as high as 300 millimetres, but he said Perth was likely to escape any after-effects of the system as it made its way inland next week.

Tropical Cyclone Damien is predicted to bring destructive winds up to 250 kilometres an hour. ( Supplied: Windy )

"At this stage the rainfall looks like it's going to stay through the inland parts of WA, so at this stage Perth is going to likely miss out on any rainfall," Mr Huntington said.

"We've got it weakening below tropical cyclone strength early on Sunday morning, so that looks like it could be around the Tom Price or Paraburdoo area.

"After then it will be downgraded to a tropical low."

Red alert as residents warned to prepare

A red alert is in place for people from Whim Creek to Mardie and south to Millstream, while a yellow alert is in place for people from Port Hedland to north of Whim Creek and south to Wittenoom.

People in these areas have been told they need to prepare for cyclonic weather and move to shelter.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) said more resources had been deployed to the region.

"We are planning for the worst," DFES assistant commissioner Brad Delavale said.

"We have sent an urban search and rescue team to Port Hedland to assist with damage assessment should it occur."

Staff from Broome and Perth have also been flown in to Port Hedland where they will be operating an incident control centre.

Evacuation centres have been set up at Karratha's Leisureplex and the JD Hardie Centre in South Hedland, with residents urged to put their cyclone plan in place.

"If you are going to go to these evacuation centres, I recommend that you go early and you take the bare essential items such as medications and identification with you," Assistant Commissioner Delavale said.

Bus services will be arranged to transport residents in Roebourne and surrounding communities to the Karratha evacuation centre.

People in the alert zone were also warned to prepare their houses for the cyclone's arrival by fastening cyclone screens, boarding up or taping windows and locking doors. Those in low-lying areas should be aware of the risk of storm-surges and localised flooding.

Assistant Commissioner Delavale said residents needed to "react responsibly" after some people were seen surfing along the Pilbara coast.

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"That's risky, and when our emergency services personnel are preparing for a cyclone, we don't want to have to be out rescuing people doing unnecessary things," he said.

The WA Country Health Service confirmed Karratha Health Campus would remain open throughout the weekend.

A yellow alert applies to people from Port Hedland to north of Whim Creek and south to Wittenoom, including Port Hedland, Barrow Island and Panawonica.

People in this area are advised to get ready to take shelter, and prepare their property.

Power company braces for blackouts

Horizon Power retail and community manager Michelle South said this weekend would be the second time the Pilbara's underground power network would be tested.

During Cyclone Christine in 2013, more than 13,000 customers lost power in the area, but during Cyclone Veronica last year that just 250 of 9,000 customers lost power.

"We're not anticipating any major outages, of course that is subject to the strength of the cyclone and the path that it does take," Ms South said.

"However, we're well positioned in Karratha having the underground power network.

"We do have some more vulnerable areas such as Point Samson and Roebourne, as those are fed by overhead networks still … so those are a little bit more vulnerable to high winds during cyclonic conditions."

Residents stock up ahead of bunkering down

Supermarket car parks in Karratha were almost full by 7:30am on Friday as locals raced to stock up on food and water.

But weather in the city was calm ahead of the cyclone's arrival, as were most of the locals who spoke to the ABC.

Long-time Karratha resident Tony Caetano says he is eager for plenty of rain. ( ABC News: Rhiannon Shine )

Tony Caetano, who has lived in the region 40 years, said he was hoping for plenty of rain.

"It might be a cat four when it crosses the coast, so we just have to batten down and see what happens," he said.

Ellen Grochowski is hoping her new house will survive the impact of Cyclone Damien. ( ABC News: Rhiannon Shine )

Ellen Grochowski said she expected a lot of mess and hopefully some rain. But after recently moving house, she said she hoped the new property would withstand the impact.

"I'm not too worried, we'll be right," she said.

"The hardest thing will be trying to keep this one [her young daughter Xanthe] entertained."

Adam Lagun has previously experienced cyclones in Queensland. ( ABC News: Rhiannon Shine )

Adam Lagun only recently moved to Karratha but said he had a lot of experience with cyclones from his time living in Queensland.

"We will batten down the hatches, put some mattresses in the hallways, get plenty of supplies, make sure phones are charged up, batteries, lights, torches," he said.

Industry and ports shut down

From Port Hedland to Onslow, mining companies have begin shutting down port operations in preparation for the cyclone.

Pilbara Ports Authority cleared the port of Dampier overnight, and has started the process of clearing the ports of Port Hedland and Ashburton.

The other major Pilbara ports of Cape Lambert, Cape Preston, Barrow Island and Varanus island have all been closed.

With the port of Port Hedland — the largest bulk export port in the southern hemisphere — being cleared, there was likely to be a significant impact to the iron ore industry with the majority of Australia's iron ore supply restricted for a number of days.

Port Hedland is the largest bulk export port in the southern hemisphere. ( Supplied: Port Hedland Port Authority )

Rio Tinto said it was continuing to monitor the movement of Cyclone Damien and "coordinate necessary precautionary steps in line with our standard operating procedure".

"With strong winds and heavy seas predicted, both Port Walcott (Cape Lambert) and Dampier ports are being cleared, as this impacts the ability to safely moor vessels," the company said in a statement.

"We have also started the process of demobilising non-essential people from our sites which may be affected by the weather system."

A Woodside Energy spokeswoman said all non-essential personnel had been evacuated from work areas across the company's Karratha operations.