North west WA residents urged to prepare homes as Ex-Tropical Cyclone Lincoln expected to re-intensify

Emergency services are heading into a challenging stretch across Western Australia, with a cyclone bearing down on the state's north west, and a bushfire closing a critical highway in the south.

Residents across WA's Pilbara and Gascoyne are being warned to prepare for a tropical cyclone expected to make landfall early on Saturday.

Currently north of Derby off the Kimberley coast, ex-Tropical Cyclone Lincoln is expected to continue tracking west on Wednesday, before turning south back towards the WA coast.

Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) spokesman James Ashley said the system, at this stage, was expected to make landfall around the North West Cape near Exmouth on Saturday as a category two cyclone.

It has predicted heavy rain and damaging winds of 90 kilometres per hour from early Friday, reaching 100kph later in the day. 

There is also a risk gusts will reach destructive levels near the centre of the system, with speeds of up to 140kph.

"A severe category three cyclone is not out of the question, as is a weaker system," Mr Ashley said.

"We urge people to keep across those warnings and keep informed."

A blue alert, which means people should prepare their properties for cyclone conditions, has been issued for the area between Roebourne and the Ningaloo coast, including Karratha.

Heavy rainfall is also expected on the west Pilbara coast from Friday, and spreading into the Gascoyne as the system moves inland. 

Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) Commissioner Darren Klemm said additional resources had been deployed between Geraldton and Karratha to cover the system's passage.

The reinforcements include an incident management team, 30 search and rescue personnel and additional SES volunteers.

"It is likely that the North West Coastal Highway will be impacted by flooding later in the week," Mr Klemm said.

"People in the community should reconsider travel, and people in caravans must leave the area.

"Don't risk your life, and the lives of marine rescue volunteers, by going out on the water during this cyclone."

Impacts already felt in WA

Authorities across WA's north are already bracing for the impact. 

A planned funeral for celebrated Banjima elder and community leader Mr M Parker scheduled for Saturday in Onslow, which was expected to bring large crowds to town, was cancelled.

Onslow's resources industry is also closely monitoring the system, with both Mineral Resources and Chevron preparing for any impact to operations in the region. 

A planned pilot strike affecting much of regional WA has also been suspended at the request of the state government.

Pilots flying for Network Aviation had planned a four-day work stoppage starting on Thursday, but have now suspended any industrial action due to the cyclone risk.

Mr Klemm urged locals not to be complacent, despite the area's significant experience with cyclones.

"The Pilbara coast is very well-prepared for the passage of tropical cyclones," he said.

"It's a region that attracts more than it's fair share."

Rain dumped over Kimberley

The system, which passed over the WA-NT border late on Monday, has already dumped significant rain over areas of the Kimberley.

Halls Creek has received more than 190mm of rain, with more than 100mm falling in six hours.

The town has experienced minor flooding, and authorities have received two calls for help in the remote community.

At Nicholson Station, on the WA-NT border near Halls Creek, Maddie Staff watched ex-Tropical Cyclone Lincoln roll in from the east. 

"It was a pretty big drop of rain, we had 127mm at the homestead and 190mm out in the paddock," she said.

She watched the Nicholson River rise from her office window, cutting her and her young family off by road.

Her main concern was how she would attend the Taylor Swift concert in Sydney this weekend now she could no longer drive to an airport.

"I'm really looking around at charter flights and choppers, whatever can get me out of here on Friday," Ms Staff said.

"The concert is in Sydney but in all honesty I'd be happy to get to Halls Creek."

Waiting for water to downstream

Further west at Fitzroy Crossing, locals are on flood watch following heavy rainfall in the upper Fitzroy River catchment.

"There's certainly some good flows coming down this way," Phil Hams at Gogo Station said.

Despite the significant increase, Mr Hams was not concerned about flooding.

"The river is in good flow, there's no question about that, but it's certainly well within its banks," he said.

A flood watch for the East, West and North Kimberley Rivers, the Fitzroy River and the Sturt Creek District is currently in place. 

Darren Klemm said the potential for heavy rain and extended flooding in the wake of the system was at the forefront of DFES planning efforts.

He said staff were contacting communities to determine where supplies of fuel, food, water and medicine were falling low.

The cyclone initially developed into a category one system on Tuesday last week, dumping hundreds of millimetres of rain on already sodden land in northern Queensland and the Northern Territory.

It has spent the last week moving through the NT as a tropical low before being pushed back out to sea north-east of Broome where it's expected to pick up strength.

Nullarbor fire cuts Eyre Highway

Meanwhile, authorities are battling a different kind of emergency at the other end of the state, with a bushfire closing WA's main road link with the east coast.

The Eyre Highway is closed between Norseman and Caiguna Roadhouse, due to a bushfire burning near Balladonia.

It is not yet clear how long the road will remain closed for, and DFES has urged people to reconsider travel plans over the coming days.

DFES said people inside the Balladonia Roadhouse should leave in a westerly direction towards Norseman.

A DFES spokesperson said it was working with agencies and the Shire of Dundas to arrange welfare for people left stranded by the closure.
Sire of Dundas President Laurene Bonza said the blaze started two weeks ago, and it was frustrating to see small fires turn into major blazes after not being attended to.

"Could we not just put them out really? We fly over them and look at them and monitor them, and now we have the main freight route into the state closed for how many days we don't know yet," she said.