A category two cyclone off Western Australia's Kimberley coast is picking up speed as it heads towards the Pilbara.
Tropical Cyclone Christine was 295 kilometres off Broome at 5pm (WST) on Sunday and was moving towards the Pilbara coast about 13 kilometres an hour, the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said.
Earlier in the day BoM tracked the cyclone at 10km/h.
The bureau says the cyclone is expected to intensify as it moves towards the coast.
It has issued a cyclone warning for coastal areas from Cape Leveque to Mardie, including Broome, Port Hedland and Karratha, and extending inland to Marble Bar.
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BoM forecasts the cyclone to bring heavy rainfall and gales of up to 100km/h south of Cape Leveque later on Sunday.
Gales are expected to extend west along the Pilbara coast to Whim Creek late on Sunday or Monday morning as the cyclone approaches.
The bureau said the cyclone could on Monday bring "very destructive" gales and heavy rainfall to Mardie and possibly as far west as Exmouth, with winds possibly reaching 165km/h.
Coastal communities between Pardoo and Mardie have been warned of the potential for a dangerous storm tide late on Monday or early on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, BoM says severe thunderstorms have hit Queensland's southeast around Gympie, Pomona and Amamoor.
The thunderstorms are moving northeast and are forecast to hit the area northwest of Noosa Heads and the region east of Gympie and Lake Cooloola.
Damaging winds and large hailstones are likely, the bureau says.
