Second Cyclone Hits Oz
A fishing town of 800 people is expected to take the full brunt of Australia's second cyclone in less than two weeks.
Australia's remote northwest has been lashed by 80mph winds as Cyclone Glenda began crossing the Pilbara coast.
There were no immediate reports of substantial damage.
The cyclone is expected to take several hours to pass over land and meteorologists fear that the town of Onslow will be hardest hit.
"There is a fairly good chance that Onslow will be in for a period of very destructive winds," Bureau of Meteorology manager Grahame Reader said.
The storm has forced oil and gas fields to shut down and disrupted iron-ore shipments.
About 500 people in the remote town of Karratha have been evacuated from lower lying areas of the town in preparation for tidal surges and possible flooding, an emergency services official said.
A bureau statement said "very destructive gusts" to 155mph were expected near the cyclone centre.
Pilbara residents were also warned of the potential for a dangerous storm tide.
"Tides are likely to rise significantly above the normal high tide mark with very dangerous flooding and damaging waves," the bureau said.
Heavy rains pelted the region as residents battened down for the storm - the sixth since the season began in November.
"We are asking people to stay indoors and to seek shelter," said Jim Cahill, operations manager with the Fire and Emergency Services Authority of Western Australia.
Glenda was downgraded from a maximum category 5 storm to category 4.C
It hit in an area known as "cyclone alley" because it is regularly swept by storms at this time of year.
Glenda comes less than two weeks after powerful Cyclone Larry destroyed homes and crops on Australia's northeastern coast.
Sky
