strong tropical cycloneWinds of up to 288 kilometers per hour hit the deserted areas of Western Australia today, according to the country’s meteorological service.

Cyclone Ilsa, a Category 5 cyclone, made landfall near the Indian Ocean village of Pardu, 19 hours northeast of Perth. Now he is heading inland, to Western Australia.

There are no reports of casualties, as residential areas have not yet been affected. “We have not received any requests for assistance,” emergency services spokesman Peter Shotton told ABC.

The owners of a gas station and a car park in Pardou have posted on social media that their business has been hit hard.

By the time it landed, the cyclone was accompanied by winds blowing at an average speed of 218 kilometers per hour, with gusts reaching 288 kilometers per hour, according to the weather service. This is a record for Australia, where the highest wind speed ever recorded was 194 kilometers per hour during the passage of Cyclone George in 2007.

Ilsa was downgraded to a Category 3 storm when she was over land and in strong winds up to 100 mph. Emergency services maintain a “red alert” in areas through which a cyclone can pass.

The area contains many iron, copper and gold mines, some of the largest in Australia.

As a precautionary measure, some, such as the Newcrest gold mine in the small town of Telfer, have suspended operations.

Port Hedland, a major transport hub for iron ore, was closed earlier this week due to a landfall cyclone.

According to ANZ Bank, one of Australia’s largest financial institutions, its closure could disrupt global supplies of iron ore, which is used in steelmaking.

Source: APE-MPE, AFP.