Cyclone Narelle — WA Weekend Update

Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle made landfall south of Coral Bay on Friday 27 March as a

Category 3 system with gusts up to 195 km/h, before tracking southeast through the Gascoyne,

past Geraldton, and across the Wheatbelt toward Perth by Saturday.

Carnarvon and the surrounding food bowl — which supplies around 60% of WA’s winter fresh

produce and 80% of the state’s bananas — suffered major agricultural losses. Corn crops were

flattened, tomato seedlings destroyed, and avocado farms wiped out. Banana plantations saw

significant damage to mature trees. Fruit and vegetable prices are expected to rise in coming

weeks.

Exmouth’s airport terminal was obliterated by 260 km/h gusts, and over 2,000 homes across the

region are being assessed. LNG operations at Wheatstone were disrupted and may take weeks

to restore.

Perth experienced 25–60mm of rain, strong winds, and flash flooding on Saturday, with 40+

flights cancelled and Perth Airport’s cross runway closed for debris clearance. The system

weakened and moved offshore by Sunday.

Sources:

• BOM: Ex-Tropical Cyclone Narelle impacts

• Bunbury Mail: Crops flattened, towns smashed

• The Watchers: Narelle damages Exmouth

Share

You may also be interested in

Cyclone Narelle — WA Weekend Update

Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle made landfall south of Coral Bay on Friday 27 March as a Category 3 system with gusts up to...

Blueberry volume surge drives Berry movement despite softer Category conditions

The berry category delivered mixed results this week. Blueberries led the charge, with volumes up 14.0%, while strawberries lifted modestly by 3.4%. In...

Underlying Inflation comes in higher than expected driven by Housing, Food & Beverages

Australia’s inflation remained stubbornly high in January 2026, coming in slightly hotter than economists had expected and reinforcing the likelihood of further interest...