WA station owner prays for Stan's rain

Most residents in WA's Pilbara would rather not see cyclone Stan arrive, but cattle station owner Annabelle Coppin wants Stan and its rain to come closer.

Annabelle Coppin is praying for rain on her Pilbara cattle station - and she hopes cyclone Stan blows bucket-loads of it her way.

Her Yarrie Station, about 150km east of Port Hedland and 60km inland from the Pilbara coast, is right on the path Stan is expected to take after it hits the east Pilbara coast at severe category three, with wind gusts up to 200km/h near its eye.

But it's the predicted rainfall of 150mm Ms Coppin wants - and she's happy for a direct hit from Stan.

"Stan the man, hopefully," Ms Coppin told AAP.

"We just want rain. We want to see Stan. We need him because we haven't had any rain yet (this wet season) and we really need the rain."

Even Stan's severe category three strength, and predictions the storm will hold cyclone strength for 24 to 48 hours as it bores inland, don't worry Ms Coppin too much.

"He's only a cat-three. If he was a cat-four I'd be more worried, and he still might get there, but at the moment we're more worried about the rain than the wind."

Ms Coppin has around 5000 head of cattle spread over her 250,000-hectare property.

She grew up there and bought the property from her parents last year.

All but a few of the very weakest cattle will survive the storm, she said.

"The stock hold up pretty well in a cyclone, pretty resilient, put their heads down and their backs to the wind," she said.

"And if we get the rain, there will be so much water around, it will be like everyone sitting in a spa, drinking champagne and having cheese.

"They can just wander round and not have to work too hard for their water and tucker."

It all depends on Stan's path.

Up in the Pilbara, the wetter side of the cyclone is to the east.

That's because the cyclone forces moisture-laden wind on-shore on its east side, while on the west, the wind blows out to sea.

"He's only got to go 100km east and then come in, and we'll get diddly squat rain," Ms Coppin said.

"We want to see him come a bit closer to us.

"We're more worried about the drought killing cattle than the cyclone."


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Source: AAP


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