DFES Commissioner Darren Klem and the BOM’s James Ashley have now finished speaking, and this is where we will leave our live coverage.

Thanks for joining us as authorities provided an update on Tropical Cyclone Zelia, which is now a category five system.

You can keep reading below and keep up to date on Emergency WA, or tune in to ABC Radio.

Mr Ashley said it was uncommon to have a category five system affect WA.

“It's pretty rare," he said.

"We mentioned Ilsa earlier, that's the last time a category five cyclone crossed the WA coast.

“Generally it's the sort of thing that might happen sort of once every five years or so.”

Mr Ashley said the timing of the cyclone crossing the coast would impact the severity of any storm surge.

“Tidal ranges up through the Pilbara are quite large," he said.

"So a crossing at low tide is unlikely to even reach the highest astronomical tide of the year, but crossing at the time of high tide could significantly be above that level.

“The most likely scenario is that the actual cross is in between the two high tides of Friday, which is around midday … and then again Friday night into Saturday morning.”

One reporter has asked Mr Klemm how Tropical Cyclone Zelia coimpared to Tropical Cyclone Ilsa, which crossed the Pilbara as a category five system in April 2023.

“What we do know about these cyclones is that the difficulty is in predicting where they're going to go, and that's been a constant challenge certainly on this one,” Mr Klemm said.

“We're constantly learning from every event that happens … particularly around resourcing.”

The towns of Marble Bar, Nullagine and the Eastern Pilbara remote Aboriginal communities are not being evacuated, with locals instead opting to shelter in place.

“If they decide to change their position in terms of wanting to be removed from the communities, then obviously we're going to facilitate that where we can,” Mr Klemm said.

“They're very strong communities up in the Pilbara, and I encourage everybody to look out for those that might be vulnerable in the community and make sure that they're adequately prepared and looked after.”

Mr Klemm urged people to follow the directions of emergency services to stay safe during the cyclone.

“The intensity of Tropical Cyclone Zelia means there is a significant threat to lives and property,” he said.

“Yesterday, DFES delivered more than 50,000 text and telephone messages to devices in the Pilbara warning them of the actions they need to stay safe.

“I urge people in the region to continue to check Emergency WA on the app or the website for the latest information on road closures.”

Mr Ashley said parts of the Pilbara could receive more than 500mm of rain during the cyclone, which could result in heavy flooding.

“Flood waters move down rivers and creeks incredibly swiftly, and people need to make sure that both themselves and children alike are staying out of those for days to come,” he said.

“It's been a pretty wet summer through the Pilbara, and that's likely to exacerbate that flooding risk.”

Commissioner Klemm said authorities had been working to ensure the flow of supplies into the region in the event of road closures.

“Suppliers indicate to us that stocks of perishable and non-perishable goods, as well as gas and diesel, are strong,” he said.

“There's been some increase in in purchasing that often goes on in these types of circumstances, but [suppliers] stand ready to, once the roads reopen, to move the trucks back in with supplies.”

There remains uncertainty about exactly where the cyclone will make landfall.

Commissioner Klemm said he was particularly concerned about Port Hedland.

“If the track was to shift more to the east, we would see a significant impact on Port Hedland,” he said.

“The building stock in Port Hedland’s a bit older than what it is in Karratha, and so that's where some of those maintenance issues come in.”

DFES Commissioner Darren Klemm said a large number of resources have been deployed to the Pilbara, including air support and flood rescue boats.

“We have mobilised 50 incident management team and emergency respondents to the Pilbara and Kimberley to prepare for the tropical cyclone,” he said.

A second evacuation centre is being prepared for Karratha, in addition to the centre already open in South Hedland.

Mr Klemm said retailers had shut shops, 12 schools are closed and regional airports are closed, but airstrips will be open for emergencies.