Tropical Cyclone Veronica has 'ability to impact lives and homes'

Tropical Cyclone Veronica is slowly making her way to the Pilbara coast with a severe impact likely from later Saturday afternoon and on Sunday.

The category four system is currently sitting 355 kilometres northwest of Port Hedland .

“Tropical Cyclone Veronica remains category four and is currently 350km north of Port Hedland,” a BOM spokesman said.

“It’s travelling at five to 10 kilometres per hour toward the coast and it’s expected to make landfall overnight Saturday or Sunday morning."

The most likely crossing point is Karratha and Port Hedland which is a stretch of almost 200km.

In the lead up to landfall, destructive winds, widespread heavy rainfall, a damaging storm surge and major flooding are all expected.

"This severe tropical cyclone has the ability to impact lives and homes, and all warnings must be acted on," a police spokesman said.

"People should prepare themselves to lose power, water and gas. Without power people should make sure they have a battery radio that can reach ABC."

In Karratha, locals are filling sandbags in preparation for heavy rainfalls and flooding.

Brandon Vermuellen said he has been racing against the clock to prepare his property.

"A few days ago we started to see all the shelves empty and the weather forecast and we started to get a bit nervous," he said.

"We've got some non-perishable food, heaps of water and some beers to get us through."

Supermarket shelves have been stripped and this morning locals were stocking up on the last available supplies of bottled water.