Then ex-tropical cyclone Lincoln is expected to make landfall as a category two storm near Coral Bay on Saturday, the Bureau of Meteorology warns.
It's sitting off the Kimberley coast, about 420km north of Port Hedland and 525km north northeast of Karratha, and is forecast to track southwest towards the North West Cape.
"It will start to gain energy and intensity reaching a category one tropical cyclone intensity sometime overnight ... into tomorrow morning," Meteorologist Miriam Bradbury said on Thursday.
Severe Weather Update on Ex-Tropical — Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) #CycloneLincoln, which will re-strengthen into a tropical cyclone off the #WA coast. Video current at 10:30am AWST 22 February 2024. Latest: https://t.co/4W35o8iFmh or the BOM Weather app. pic.twitter.com/BMkD3D1NPSFebruary 22, 2024
"That's really when we're going to start seeing impacts developing for the far west coast of Western Australia."
A cyclone blue alert has been modified and reissued for the area from Mardie south to Wooramel, with residents urged to prepare for severe weather, destructive winds and potential flooding.
"We expect to see sustained gale force winds developing within the next 24 to 48 hours," Ms Bradbury said.
"Damaging wind gusts that may reach 100km/h are also possible and winds of this strength can bring down trees or power lines and also cause quite dangerous marine conditions out on the water."
The tropical low is expected to strengthen into a category-two system late on Friday or early Saturday as it approaches the coast.
"As it makes landfall that's when we will see the most intense impacts," Ms Bradbury said.
"Destructive wind gusts up to 140km/h are possible and very heavy rainfall that could lead to flash flooding."
Tropical — Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) #cyclones are named to increase public awareness & reduce confusion. Currently, Ex-Tropical #CycloneLincoln is still a tropical low, but is expected to re-intensify overnight. When it does, it will be renamed TC Lincoln. For the latest on Lincoln: https://t.co/4KFWWiaPgB pic.twitter.com/BopJkIyscBFebruary 22, 2024
Multiple flood watches have been issued for catchments along the Pilbara and Gascoyne coastlines and urban search and rescue specialists are among the dozens of emergency service personnel deployed to communities likely to be impacted by the cyclone.
Authorities expect the North West Coastal Highway to close at various locations because of flooding and have said some communities could be isolated for days.
Lincoln crossed the Northern Territory coast late last week as a category one tropical cyclone from the Gulf of Carpentaria before moving inland across the Top End and into WA as a storm.
It dumped heavy rain across a wide area triggering flood watches and warnings in northwest Queensland, the NT and northern WA before moving offshore again on Wednesday.
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