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The most destructive storm in more than a decade will hit Western Australia in the coming hours.
Cyclone Ilsa has been upgraded to a category 5 storm and is expected to cross the coast between Port Hedland and Wallal Downs around midnight or in the early hours of Friday morning.
It's too late for residents between Bidyadanga and Port Hedland and to Marble Bar to flee, with a red alert issued for people to take shelter as the "very destructive core" of the cyclone formed.
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The red alert does not include Bidyadanga or Marble Bar.
At 5pm (7pm AEST) the powerful weather system was 285 kilometres north of Port Hedland and had sustained winds near the centre of 205km/h and gusts up to 285km/h.
Extreme wind gusts of up to 315km/h are expected to impact the areas near Pardoo Roadhouse and De Grey tonight.
Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) Commissioner Darren Klemm told the community this afternoon people under red alert need to shelter in place and cannot go outside.
Residents can stay up to date with the latest warnings on either the Emergency WA website or the bureau's website.
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"It is incredibly dangerous to be out in those environments and it risks the lives of first responders to go out there and protect those people," Klemm said.
"We do not want to see anyone outside of rated structures once the red alert is put on."
A yellow alert has been issued for people between Port Hedland to Whim Creek (not including Port Hedland), including Marble Bar, Telfer and Nullagine, with residents told to take action and get ready to shelter from the cyclone.
Abnormally high tides are also possible between Bidyadanga and Port Hedland as the system crosses the coast tonight or during early Friday morning.
Meteorologists have predicted in some locations the tide may be close to or exceed the highest astronomical tide of the year.
People hunker down, head to evacuation centres
This afternoon, people started hunkering down in Port Hedland ahead of the red alert.
Others left for evacuation centres where authorities were sandbagging.
Josh Lockyer, who moved to Port Hedland from Newman recently, told 9News he was "preparing for the worst just in case" as he collected sandbags this afternoon.
"We've had a few cyclones come through there but not like this," Lockyer said.
"We've got sandbags here to fill up, make sure the house doesn't flood."
Fellow resident and TAFE lecturer Dylan Whiteley also stocked up on sandbags this afternoon.
"The houses are built for it up here – should be alright – just got a bit of stuff in case of a surge in the backyard," Whiteley said.
"All in all, I think we're as prepared as we can be.
"Plenty of food, a few beers, it should be alright."
SES Armadale team leader Ron Stroet is among the volunteers helping out on the ground.
"We're all volunteers that have come up from our jobs in Perth, our families in Perth and it's great to come up and help," Stroet said.
Rain intensified between Port Hedland and Pardoo Roadhouse as the cyclone neared the coast.
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By 11pm (1am AEST), the cyclone will have a "very destructive core", the BoM said.
"Very destructive wind gusts up to 170km/h are possible at Telfer during Friday if the centre of Isla passes close by," the BoM said.
Authorities are checking on remote Aboriginal communities in the region, along with mines and tourist sites.
For the area south of Broome to Port Hedland, wind gusts of up to 90km/h are forecast and will move towards Whim Creek.
Telfer, Parnngurr and Kiwirrkurra are next in the firing line by Friday night.
Heavy rainfall from the western Kimberley to the eastern Pilbara will bring 150 to 300mm of rain when Isla hits.
The system is expected to weaken overnight on Friday as it moves east into southern parts of the Northern Territory.
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'I am really scared right now'
Campers have evacuated from popular tourist spot Eighty Mile Beach, 250km north of Port Hedland, after warnings the sanctuary could take a direct hit.
Roadhouses along the Great Northern Highway are shutting up shop, including in Pardoo, which was hit by Cyclone Rusty 10 years ago.
Chef Robert Declaro served his final customers and headed for Port Hedland to seek refuge.
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"Since yesterday I can't sleep much because this isn't ordinary. I'm really scared right now," he said.
However, others aren't rushing off as quickly.
Queenslander Lisa Ashford, who is on a record-breaking ride around Australia, is hoping to outcycle the cyclone.
"I'll shoot past Port Hedland today and end up in Karratha," she said on Wednesday afternoon.
"Tomorrow night I'll be another 200 kilometres south."
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Emergency services said the winds were likely to pick up on Thursday, prompting Port Hedland residents to collect and dispose of debris on Wednesday.
An estimated $300 million of trade that moves in and out of the local port daily was halted.
"It's just a case of securing as best you can and get yourself in a safer place, away from the main impact of the storm," Philip Christy from Pilbara Ports Authority said.
A State Emergency Service (SES) taskforce manned the ground with another small army of 10 volunteers arriving from Perth and packing sandbags.
Closer to Ilsa's path, the De Grey River is about to be inundated with more than 200 millimetres of rain a day.
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"Some of those areas in the inland parts of the Pilbara might see a year's worth of rain in a couple of days," Todd Smith from the BoM said.
Communities can call the State Emergency Service on 132 500 for assistance and triple zero in the case of a life-threatening emergency.
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