Ex-Tropical Cyclone Mitchell expected to batter the Gascoyne region as it moves inland
Workers reopen the North West Coastal Highway near the Kalbarri turn-off. (ABC News: Bridget McArthur)
In short:
Ex-Tropical Cyclone Mitchell crossed WA's Gascoyne coast about 1am.
The system has weakened to a tropical low and is moving inland.
What's next?
The Bureau of Meteorology has warned residents flash flooding and strong winds are possible.
Key roads are beginning to reopen across Western Australia's North West, with ex-Tropical Cyclone Mitchell continuing to pack a punch as it tracks inland.
The system weakened to a tropical low before crossing the coast about 1am on Tuesday, east of Shark Bay.
BOM duty forecaster Miriam Bradbury said there had been some heavy falls recorded in the area.
"We've seen over 100 millimetres at Shark Bay, close to that time of crossing, but we've seen further rainfall totals pushing up towards that sort of 50-60 millimetre mark in areas just north of Geraldton and around Geraldton," she said.
"Pushing inland, the rainfall has been reaching that 40-millimetre mark, so definitely rain still falling, plenty to see on the radar and more to come today."
Tropical Cyclone Mitchell caused damage in central Carnarvon. (ABC Pilbara: Rachel Hagan)
A severe weather warning is in place in parts of the Central West, Central Wheatbelt and Gascoyne for heavy rainfall and damaging winds.
"We do have fairly widespread totals of sort of 20 to 60 millimetres forecast [for those regions]," Ms Bradbury said.
More than 100 millimetres of rain fell on Shark Bay. (Supplied: Shayne Thomson)
Road closures
Authorities reopened the North West Coastal Highway just after 11am on Tuesday.
However, drivers were warned to be aware of potential flooding along the road right through to the Pilbara.
An expanding convoy of vehicles had been banking up near the Ajana Kalbarri turn-off on the North West Coastal Highway.
A convoy of cars wait for a road closure to lift at the Ajana Kalbarri turn-off on the North West Coastal Highway. (ABC News: Bridget McArthur)
By 10am, about two dozen campervans, cars and trucks were waiting in the drizzling rain for the road block to be lifted so they could go north.
Several had shifts in Exmouth, and one couple was on the final leg of a cross-country move from Brisbane to Karratha.
A group of young men, who had a fishing trip planned up north, had been waiting for over three hours.
No major damage
Wind gusts of up to 107 kilometres per hour and 85km/h were recorded in Carnarvon and Shark Bay, respectively.
DFES chief superintendent Paul Carr said only 20 calls for help had been received over the last three days, which was "remarkable".
He said it was a testament to how prepared people were for the cyclone.
There have been no reports of major damage after Cyclone Mitchell passed Carnarvon. (Supplied: Sophia Alston)
"The damage has been really minor, with fallen tree branches over homes or water egress caused by wind," Mr Carr said.
He said locals should still be careful when driving.
"Don't drive on roads with floodwaters, don't assume that if you are local that you understand the depths of the water on the road," Mr Carr said.
Carnarvon was hit with strong winds, despite the cyclone's reduced intensity. (ABC Pilbara: Rachel Hagan)
About 800 homes and businesses in the Gascoyne region are without power.
A number of schools will reopen in the Pilbara, however several schools in Shark Bay will be closed to all staff and students on Tuesday.
The system is expected to gradually weaken as it tracks further south-east and heads inland.
Bodyboarders in Kalbarri making the most of the conditions. (ABC News: Bridget Mcarthur)
"By the time we get to around Thursday or Friday all that moisture associated with the ex-tropical cyclone is moving well inland, pushing into South Australia, back into the Northern Territory and eventually may reach the eastern states late in the week or into next weekend," Ms Bradbury said.
Rainfall welcomed
Liam Forrester at Winning Station, about 220 kilometres north of Carnarvon, said he was forecast to receive a deluge of up to 80mm of rain from about 4am Monday.
Pastoralists at Winning Station strapped down the roof of the 1913 homestead in preparation for TC Mitchell. (Supplied: Liam Forrester)
But he only recorded between 15 and 20mm.
"We're extremely grateful … but it is hard not to be a little bit disappointed with how dry it is," he said.
"We were hoping to break the drought here, but we look forward to the next one."
Roads were closed in Onlsow following TC Mitchell. (ABC News: Mietta Adams)
In the West Pilbara, Yalleen Station recorded 95 millimetres of rain brought by Ex-Cyclone Mitchell.
Pastoralist Michael Percy said the downpour broke a three-year dry spell at the station.
"These sort of systems are what we all look out for, because they bring that sort of general rain that's over the wide area, which is what we really need," he said.
"We've had some really useful rain, which we were starting to worry we weren't going to get."
Dampier in WA's north saw significant rainfall after the cyclone. (ABC News: Kelsey Reid)
Like many stations around the West Pilbara region, Yalleen has recorded several years of below-average rainfall.
For pastoralists in this region, cyclones can be good news if they result in much-needed water.
Miaree Pool near Karratha received a welcome downpour as TC Mitchell passed the Pilbara coast. (Supplied: Simon Overton)
Mr Percy said the rain on the station over the weekend would make a "huge difference".
"It definitely changes our outlook entirely," he said.
"But unfortunately, there's a lot of people that will have missed out on this."
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