Two tropical cyclones could form in the Australian region by the start of next week, one in the Coral Sea and the other off the north coast of WA.

The storm is expected to make landfall Friday afternoon, with wind gusts of up to 180 miles per hour. A port crucial to the global economy has shut down.

Cyclone Zelia made landfall on the east of Port Hedland, one of the world's busiest iron ore ports, packing wind speeds of 290kmh.

Port Hedland's deputy mayor says the town is among the most prepared in the world for a category five cyclone, but there are fears for houses that haven't been well maintained.

The storm’s winds equaled those of a Category 4 hurricane, and residents were told to stay indoors to shelter from destructive winds and flooding.

Tropical Cyclone Zelia made landfall Friday on Australia's west coast as a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained wind gusts at 180 mph, though minimal damage ensued.

Very destructive winds of up to 290 kilometers per hour' are likely close to center of Cyclone Zelia as it crosses coast, Australian Bureau of Meteorology says

The clean-up is continuing in WA's Pilbara region for towns impacted by ex-Tropical Cyclone Zelia, but the road to recovery is still far from over. Major highways connecting towns with the rest of the state remain closed amid concerns food supplies are running low further north.