Remote communities spared as cyclone Zelia downgraded

Tropical Cyclone Zelia made landfall hours earlier in WA on Friday, but after heavy rain was downgraded from a five to two rating as the ports of Dampier and Various Island were reopened.

The Bureau of Meteorology said the storm still had storming winds of 110km/h and gusts of up to 155km/h, but it was not as dangerous and first feared.

Flood watches were in place in several towns and communities as rivers burst banks. Warnings were issued for the Ashburton River, Fortescue River, Sandy Desert and Gascoyne River.

Remote indigenous communities were cut off as roads became impassable with Marble Bar an area of concern.

Port Hedland residents were lucky as the eye of the storm missed the area, hitting a cattle station an hours drive east.

The post, one of the busiest in the world, was spared as the cyclone did most damage in remote areas.

Over 500mm of rain has fallen in the area in the past few days what food warnings now issued for the western Kimberley and the northern Gascoyne regions.

More than 10,000 sandbags have been handed out in the Pilbara and 21 schools in the region have been closed.