Narelle’s Rare Triple-Landfall Odyssey: Cyclone Weakens After Battering WA Coast


CARNARVON, WA – In a rare display of atmospheric endurance, Tropical Cyclone Narelle made its third and final Australian landfall today, crossing the Gascoyne coast just south of Coral Bay at approximately 9:30 AM AWST.

The system, which has spent the better part of ten days carving a path across the continent, is the first in over 20 years to hit three separate Australian jurisdictions. Having already impacted far north Queensland and the Northern Territory, Narelle arrived in Western Australia as a Category 3 system, packing wind gusts of up to 195 km/h.

Current Location and Status

As of Friday evening, March 27, 2026, Narelle is located inland, approximately 55 km south of Coral Bay and 140 km north of Carnarvon.

While the system is beginning to lose its tropical structure due to land interaction and increasing wind shear, it remains a dangerous weather event. The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) reports that the cyclone is moving south-southeast at roughly 23 km/h.

Current Vital Statistics:

  • Intensity: Weakening Category 2 / Strong Category 1

  • Max Sustained Winds: 150 km/h

  • Peak Gusts: 205 km/h

  • Central Pressure: 956 hPa

A "Very Unusual" Trajectory

Meteorologists are calling Narelle's path "very unusual." Typically, cyclones formed in the Coral Sea dissipate or move east. However, Narelle was captured by mid-latitude westerly winds, allowing it to "curl" across the Top End and re-intensify over the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. 

"The last time we saw a system of this scale and trajectory was Severe Tropical Cyclone Seroja in 2021," noted IAG Meteorologist Kathryn Turner. "It has traveled more than 5,500 km to reach this point."

Impact and Forecast

While the eye of the storm has passed the Ningaloo coast—where towns like Exmouth recorded gusts near 200 km/h—the danger has shifted inland and south.

  • Gascoyne & Mid West: Destructive winds and heavy rainfall are expected to continue through Friday night.

  • Perth & South West: Residents in Perth are being warned of heavy rain and potential gale-force winds on Saturday as the system transitions into a "hybrid warm-core" low.

  • Flood Risks: Major flood warnings remain active for the Katherine and Daly Rivers in the Northern Territory, while the WA Wheatbelt is bracing for significant runoff.

What’s Next

Narelle is forecast to be downgraded to a tropical low by 8:00 AM Saturday. However, emergency services urge residents from Jurien Bay to Carnarvon to remain vigilant as the system accelerates toward the Southern Ocean.

Comments

Post a Comment