road closures wa are snarling Perth traffic after Cyclone Narelle downed trees and flooded streets on Friday afternoon. A fallen tree forced multiple lanes to close on Great Eastern Highway eastbound at Bilgoman Road in Hovea, Main Roads confirmed at 5: 06 p. m. ET that police were on scene. Flooding affecting Cedric Street before Stephenson Road and Great Eastern Highway after Bolton Street added to delays, Main Roads advised at 5: 16 p. m. ET.
Road Closures Wa: Key incidents on Perth roads
The most urgent disruption came when a large tree fell onto the eastbound lanes of Great Eastern Highway at Bilgoman Road in Hovea, forcing multiple lane closures and heavy congestion. Main Roads confirmed police attendance at 5: 06 p. m. ET and warned motorists to drive carefully as traffic in the area remained heavy. Minor flooding prompting additional lane closures was listed by Main Roads at 5: 16 p. m. ET for Cedric Street before Stephenson Road and Great Eastern Highway after Bolton Street.
Earlier in the afternoon a separate crash in Perth’s northern suburbs compounded commuter delays: Main Roads recorded a crash on Wanneroo Road northbound at Ocean Reef at 3: 55 p. m. ET. Emergency crews and towing services attended and the crash was cleared by about 4: 40 p. m. ET, but not before significant traffic disruption in the area.
Immediate reactions from officials, emergency crews and residents
Department and Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Klemm warned of severe impacts as the cyclone moved down the coast: “The really destructive core passed just west of Exmouth, and it has been severely impacted, ” he said, and added, “We’re expecting some pretty significant damage out of this. ” Commissioner Klemm also confirmed that police and members of the defence force moved about 50 people to a local church after the roof of the town’s evacuation centre was damaged and that there were “No reports of injuries at this time. “
Exmouth Shire president Matthew Niikkula described widespread damage to homes and rooftops: “Not a person in town would have got any sleep last night… screaming winds, lots of bangs, everyone’s house shaking, sitting in the dark with their candles or their torch, ” and called the scene “a really, really terrifying experience. ” Local resident Craig Kitson reported toppled trees and fences and said, “People have lost their houses from what I’ve heard, and there’s people that have definitely lost their roofs… anyway you look at it, it’s a significant impact. “
Meteorologist James Ashley cautioned that the worst winds would fall near and to the east of the cyclone’s track: “The worst of the winds will be in areas near and to the east of the cyclone’s track. ” Officials also noted boats sunk in the marina and a significant storm surge in affected coastal communities.
What to expect next
Narelle was heading south near Coral Bay as a category three storm on Friday afternoon and was expected to make landfall and pass to the east of Carnarvon later in the day. The system is likely to weaken to a category two once over land, but damaging winds were forecast to continue in some coastal towns into the early hours of Saturday, per meteorological guidance. Emergency services and Main Roads are maintaining active monitoring of flood-affected streets and traffic hot spots; motorists should expect continued road closures wa while crews clear debris, inspect structures and repair infrastructure.
All times stated are Eastern Time (ET). The situation remains fluid as emergency crews work to reopen routes and assess damage across the affected areas.
