Broome escapes wrath of Cyclone Joyce

Broome has escaped serious damage as Tropical Cyclone Joyce continues to lash Western Australia's coastline.

The category one system passed through the tourist town last night, packing wind gusts up to 90km/h and dumping almost 80mm of rain.

The only visible damage was a fallen 15m palm tree outside the local court house.

Despite days of carefully monitoring the system, Cyclone Joyce changed her course overnight. 

Instead of intensifying to a category three, she made landfall just south of Broome as a category one at the small coastal town of Bidyadanga, before bouncing back out to the Indian Ocean and continuing in a south-westerly direction.

She is now forecast to cross the coast later today just east of remote station Wallal Downs.

Residents between Bidyadanga to De Grey, as well as inland parts of the far western Kimberley and northeast Pilbara including Marble Bar, remain in the warning zone.

A yellow alert is still current for people south of Bidyadanga to Wallal Downs.

Residents in the yellow alert region should secure all outdoor items, place their vehicles under cover, ensure all animals are in a safe area and prepare a relocation kit.