Ex-Tropical Cyclone Lincoln is expected to hit Western Australia's north coast bringing heavy rain and wind but will not be as strong as previously forecast.
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The system will cross Gascoyne coast on Saturday night or early Sunday morning bringing rain and wind gusts between Carnarvon and Exmouth in the state's Gascoyne coast.
The Bureau of Meteorology downgraded Lincoln to a tropical low on Friday night and it is forecast to remain at that intensity as it crosses the coast again.
"It's actually running out of time to become a tropical cyclone so it's looking more and more likely like it's going to stay in the tropical low for its entire lifespan really," meteorologist Angus Hynes said earlier on Saturday.
It was previously predicted to intensify to a category 1 or 2 system.
Instead, a severe weather warning has been issued for the Gascoyne coast for damaging wind gusts and heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding.
Winds of up to 100km/h are forecast for the western Pilbara on Saturday afternoon before moving to the Gascoyne and northern Central West districts on Sunday morning.
Rainfall totals between 40 and 70mm are forecast with isolated downpours above 120mm.
Flood watches are in place for the Pilbara, Gascoyne Coast and Central West District Rivers.
People in Exmouth, Coral Bay, Minilya, Gascoyne Junction, Carnarvon and Murchison in the Lyndon-Minilya, Gascoyne, Wooramel, Murchison and Greenough River catchments have been told to prepare for minor flooding, according to EmergencyWA.
The bureau said the windy conditions will ease on Sunday morning but the rain will extend into the evening.
Pilbara Ports resumed operations at the Port of Ashburton at 12pm on Saturday after advice from the bureau regarding the weakening intensity of the tropical low.
The ports of Cape Preston West, Varanus Island and Dampier resumed operations on Friday.
A cyclone yellow alert remains in place for people in or near coastal communities and offshore islands between North West Cape and Cape Cuvier including Exmouth. Coral Bay and Giralia.
Evacuation centres have been opened in Carnarvon and Exmouth and the North West Coastal Highway and six other key roads in the area have been closed.
Urban search and rescue specialists are among the dozens of emergency service personnel deployed to communities likely to be affected.
The weather system is expected to move south in WA from Sunday bringing rain and wind to interior parts of the state.
My Hynes said the tropical low would likely avoid populated areas like Perth but could impact small communities in the southwest.
By Monday the low should have all but dissipated.
Lincoln crossed the Northern Territory coast from the Gulf of Carpentaria late last week as a category 1 cyclone 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.
Australian Associated Press
