 The first evidence of the increasing strength of Joan came as the cyclone moved west-southwest past the northernmost areas of Western Australia on December 3.The cyclone's generally west-southwesterly track after December 2 took it away from the coast until 0900 6 December when it was about 420 km north of Port Hedland and the system turned southward.At about 2200 UTC December 7, 1975, the eye of tropical cyclone Joan crossed the coast about 50 km west of Port Hedland.