SYDNEY, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in Western Australia (WA) on Friday issued an emergency cyclone warning for a 250-kilometer stretch of coast in the state's northwestern Pilbara region.

The warning from the WA Department of Fire and Emergency Services advised residents in the area that it was too late to leave and to shelter indoors in the "strongest, safest part of the building."

"There is a threat to lives and homes. You are in danger and need to act immediately," it said.

Cyclone Zelia was expected to make landfall in the region on Friday afternoon local time as a category five system, bringing destructive winds and intense rainfall.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said it was most likely to cross the coast between the towns of Karratha, with a population of about 22,000, and the 15,000-person town of Port Hedland.

It warned of very destructive wind gusts of up to 320 kilometers per hour near the center of the cyclone as it crossed the coast.

Locally intense rainfall that could cause flash flooding was likely across the coast and inland areas on Friday, the bureau said.

The storm grew in strength as it slowly moved towards the coast. The BoM initially forecast it would make landfall as a category three system.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday night, WA Premier Roger Cook said that the storm was big, strong and very unpredictable.

Two evacuation centers have been opened, one each in Karratha and South Hedland. Over 10,000 sandbags were distributed across the region to prepare for potential flooding.

Schools, regional airports and roads were closed in the Pilbara region, which is one of Australia's largest mining regions, and authorities worked with retailers to ensure supplies were available to rural, Indigenous and isolated communities.

Anchored ships have been moved out of Port Hedland, the largest bulk export port in the world, to prevent infrastructure damage. Enditem

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