Tropical Cyclone Rusty has been upgraded to a category four, with the massive storm battering WA's Pilbara coast.
The slow-travelling cyclone has barely moved overnight, but has strengthened to wind gusts of 230 kilometres an hour near its centre.
The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting the cyclone will begin moving south once again today.
A red alert has been issued for people in Pilbara region towns between Pardoo and Whim Creek, including Port Hedland and South Hedland.
Port Hedland has already faced wind gusts up 120 kilometres per hour, and destructive wind gusts of more than 165km/h are predicted in the area as the cyclone approaches the coast.
