Sunrise viewers ‘disgusted’ after it used old footage of cyclone during the show’s coverage of the wild weather in Western Australia
- Sunrise showed footage of 2021 Cyclone Seroja
- Footage played during coverage of current Cyclone Ilsa
- Viewers slammed the move as ‘misleading’
Sunrise viewers have unleashed on the program after it aired footage of a cyclone from two years ago while discussing the current severe weather in Western Australia.
The Channel Seven program’s host Matt Shirvington, was speaking to Dean Narramore from the Bureau of Meteorology and Port Hedland mayor Peter Carter on Friday morning after Tropical Cyclone Ilsa crossed WA’s northwest coast.
But instead of showing current footage of areas impacted by the cyclone, Sunrise replayed footage from the aftermath of Cyclone Seroja.
That cyclone caused major destruction to the state’s midwest including the towns of Kalbarri and Northampton, in 2021.
The Channel Seven program’s host Matt Shirvington (centre) was speaking to Dean Narramore (left) from the Bureau of Meteorology and Port Hedland mayor Peter Carter (right) on Friday morning after Tropical Cyclone Ilsa crossed WA’s northwest coast
The footage showed several houses completely destroyed by the 2021 cyclone, which wiped out around 2,270 properties across 40 towns.
Viewers quickly called out the breakfast show and accused it of misleading those in the impact zone.
‘Is this footage of damaged houses that Ilsa caused? If not, don’t be misleading and show it. (The) town is still on Red Alert and locked down,’ one woman said on Facebook.
‘Why did you show damage to Kalbarri from the cyclone that went through there a couple of years ago. Very misleading and dangerous to show this while Port Hedland was still under red alert,’ another commented.
One man said Port Hedland had essentially been unaffected by the cyclone and said the wind wasn’t enough to move his dog’s frisbee.
‘Why can’t they be happy and say how wonderful nothing bad happened,’ another said. ‘It’s disgusting how desperately they look for misery.’
A Seven spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia the clip had been shown at the wrong time.
‘A question was in the segment about the dangers of such a high wind speed and what it could do. A production error ran the clip at the wrong time,’ they said.
‘It has been removed from online.’
It was still dark in Perth at the time of the cross.
But instead of showing current footage of areas impacted by the cyclone, Sunrise replayed footage from the aftermath of Cyclone Seroja, which struck in 2021
Cyclone Ilsa hit the state’s northwest coast as a category-five system between De Grey and Pardoo about midnight on Thursday, bringing winds of 213km/h.
Record-breaking wind gusts of nearly 300km/hour were recorded at Bedout Island, offshore of the east Pilbara coast as the cyclone made landfall.
On Friday morning, it was classified as a category-three system and it was expected to maintain cyclone intensity until night as it moves hundreds of kilometres inland towards Telfer and Kunawarritji.
The cyclone is then expected to weaken overnight on Friday as it moves into southern parts of the Northern Territory.
In the regional centre of Port Hedland, west of the storm’s centre, locals were sheltering indoors under a red alert until the threat passed.
The renowned Pardoo Roadhouse and Tavern, located 150km north from Port Hedland, is in the direct firing line and has suffered early extensive damage.
