Tropical Cyclone Narelle news updates: Exmouth’s airport suffers ‘catastrophic damage’

That’s the end of our coverage today and as we speak ex-tropical cyclone Narelle is on her way to the Wheatbelt town of Merredin but thankfully she has lost significant power compared to when she crossed the coast into WA yesterday.

The system, now called a tropical low, will continue to weaken as it crosses the coast into the Southern Ocean roughly halfway between Esperance and Albany late tonight.

To recap today’s events:

• Most towns that were fearing the worst including Carnarvon, Kalbarri and Geraldton have dodged the worst of Narelle.
• Exmouth unfortunately took a battering and the town’s Shire president has described significant damage to infrastructure, including the airport.
• Some inland stations and farms have received catastrophic damage, including some banana plantations.
• Currently all roads into and out of Exmouth are closed but emergency services are hoping to have the road to the north cleared today.
• Many homes are still without power, but Horizon Power said they have extra crews on their way north.
• Perth has also copped a drenching today, partly because of Narelle, recording its second ever wettest March day.

Watch 9News Perth for more updates throughout the evening, and please keep an eye on the Emergency WA website for information.

We’ll be back on Monday to continue to bring you the latest developments.

The true extent of the devastation left by Tropical Cyclone Narelle has been felt by Bullara Station Stay, who posted this message to its community a short time ago:

“Due to the severe impacts of Cyclone Narelle, we are currently unable to open as we work through significant damage and loss,” the statement read.

“This has been a very challenging time for our team, and we truly appreciate your understanding and support while we focus on recovery.

“We are so grateful for all your love and offers of support, we hear you loudly and it’s keeping us going as we process whats ahead one step at a time.

“Thoughts are with all those who have been affected, we know it’s extensive and we feel for you. Thank you to our team who are also processing what the start of year 2026 season will look like.”

Meteorologist Jessica Lingard says TC Narelle could be the second-longest living weather system behind 2015’s Cyclone Nathan based on the number of advices the Bureau of Meteorology released.

“Throughout the duration of tropical cyclone Narelle, when it formed in the Coral Sea, through until this morning, the Bureau issued 103 tropical cyclone advices,” she said.

“Our preliminary investigations suggest this is the second-longest living system. Tropical Cyclone Nathan from 2015 had 118 tropical cyclone advices.”

Narelle became the first storm system in over 20 years to make landfall in three of Australia’s states and territories after it swept through Far North Queensland, the Northern Territory and then WA yesterday.

It made landfall in Queensland nine days ago on March 20.

By the time it passed Perth today, it travelled more than 5,500 kilometres.

Emergency crews have been kept busy this morning, with more than 150 requests for assistance received from across the state in the wake of cyclone Narelle, and an unrelated storm south of Perth.

In the Pilbara – which faced the brunt of the cyclone as it tracked down the coast as a category four and eventually made landfall in the region as a category three – there were 42 requests for assistance. Most of those (33) were in Exmouth.

Another 18 requests were received from the Gascoyne region, including Carnarvon.

Most of the calls for help were to assist with structural damage, flooding or fallen trees.

Unrelated wet weather in Perth has put extra strain on State Emergency Service crews, with more than 100 requests for help received overnight, mostly for flooding.