TOURIST centre Exmouth emerged largely unscathed from today's battering by tropical cyclone Nicholas which has now veered away from the town in Western Australia's Pilbara region.

The Ningaloo reef town had been placed on red alert with residents taking shelter from potentially destructive winds.

Communities between Onslow and Coral Bay were put on yellow alert and prepared for a mauling.

But the town withstood it well, and by 8pm (AEDT) the category two cyclone was about 80km west-southwest of Exmouth and 110km north-northwest of Coral Bay, moving south at 11km/h.

Wind gusts near the centre of the cyclone were estimated at 150km/hr, with gusts to 140km/hr expected in west coastal areas between Coral Bay and North West Cape overnight.

Wind gusts had reached about 110km/hr, but the town was well prepared for the onslaught and suffered no substantial damage.

"The only hiccup we've had is a small power line down that will be fixed as soon as we can," Exmouth Fire and Emergency Services Authority officer Joe Taylor said.

"But basically we're travelling very well indeed."

Conditions were starting to ease, he said.

"We believe we're probably over the worst because it's gone parallel to us and is probably starting to move away from us," Mr Taylor said.

"Nothing's been damaged. There were definitely no human injuries."

Exmouth council had removed or tied down loose objects around the town, including fallen tree branches.

Alcohol sales were banned until the cyclone passed.

Constable Steve Jacques from Karratha police station said there had been no reports of damage along other sections of the Pilbara coast.

There also were no reports of flooding or significant storm surges.

In 1999, Exmouth was hit by the strongest winds ever recorded on the Australian mainland, with severe tropical cyclone Vance generating a 267km/hr blast that caused structural damaged to 10 per cent of buildings.