Cyclone warning issued for Northern Territory
People in Australia’s northeast are preparing for their second tropical cyclone in as many months as heavy rain and winds batter the region.
The Bureau of Meteorology issued a cyclone warning for parts of the Northern Territory on Friday morning, saying there was a “high” chance of tropical low 09U developing into a cyclone.
The warning comes just a month after Category 1 ex-Tropical Cyclone Lincoln crossed the NT coast in the southern Gulf of Carpentaria, bringing strong winds, heavy rain and minor to moderate flooding.
NT Incident Controller Chief Inspector Daniel Shean said the operations center had been preparing for the latest event since Monday.
“Communities across the top tier have sufficient food supplies, critical goods and essential services to weather these weather events,” he said.
A tropical low is forecast to develop into a tropical #cyclone Saturday morning
“It has happened quickly and local controllers in each of the communities have been involved.”
Police in the communities have warned residents of the impending threat.
The weather system is located near the east coast of the NT, with a monsoon in the north moving towards the Gulf of Carpentaria.
The observation zone covers the Alyangula community at Groote Eylandt to the Queensland border, including Borroloola but not including Ngukkur.
Category 2 intensity is forecast to reach wind speeds between 126 and 164 km/h.
Parts of the upper end are already experiencing heavy rainfall, which is likely to increase this weekend.
The heaviest falls are expected at coastal and island locations on Saturday, before reaching further inland the Carpentaria district on Sunday.
The weather event will then weaken and is likely to move westwards across the NT as a tropical low, bringing heavy winds and rain.
The BOM has also issued dangerous surf warnings along the Arafura Sea, with gale force winds capable of causing waves of up to 4.5 metres.
The heavy surf could lead to coastal erosion and damage in parts of the North Arnhem region on Friday.
Residents of Galiwinku and Cape Wessel have been warned to stay away from coastal areas as the cyclone forms over the region.