Tropical Cyclone Kirrily has officially developed into a Category 1 storm as it steams towards Australia’s east coast.
Kirrily is expected to reach the mainland on Thursday evening, but is already causing chaos. The Whitsunday Islands are expected to take a battering on Wednesday evening as winds of 75mph hit.
Queensland Premier Steven Miles confirmed Townsville Airport will close at noon on Thursday as the storm makes landfall at forecast Category 2 strength that night.
The storm is expected to hit the mainland between Innisfail in the north, Townsville in the center and Sarina in the south late on Thursday.
Heavy rainfall is expected in the aftermath of the storm.
Tropical Cyclone Kirrily (track map shown) is expected to form Wednesday evening and make landfall on Thursday
Mr Miles told reporters that the storm “has intensified more slowly (than expected), but is moving faster than when we last provided an update yesterday.
The storm was previously forecast to be a category three, but that has now been downgraded.
After hitting the mainland, the storm is expected to weaken to a tropical low, but will be “associated with very high rainfall levels.”
The rain is expected to cause flooding and the Prime Minister said people in the North and Far North Queensland should ‘get ready now’.
Mr Miles assured residents that emergency services will be on standby to help those in need, but urged people to avoid flooding and provided guidance from authorities.
“Queensland Fire and Emergency Services have deployed 100 personnel to Townsville, including fast water cruises and assistance from New South Wales and Victoria,” he said.
‘Given the heavy rainfall, it is important that Queenslanders consider what travel is required in these areas from Thursday and throughout the weekend.
‘Heed the warnings and advice from both the agency and local authorities.’
Emergency services warned Queenslanders to prepare now as it could take up to 72 hours for rescuers to reach flood victims
The tropical low is is about 690 km east, northeast of Townsville, and is expected to develop into a cyclone on Wednesday night.
Laura Boekel from the Bureau of Meteorology said Kirrily’s arrival had been postponed.
“Development of this low remains slow, but we expect tropical cyclonic force to occur this evening,” Ms Boekel said.
Ms Boekel added that the impacts of the coming cyclone will be felt over the next 48 hours.
‘Guests with damaging winds of up to 75 miles per hour are likely to impact the Whitsundays tonight, so those islands will be the first to see the impact.
‘As the system moves inland, we will see communities between Ayr and Serena seeing the storms from tomorrow morning.
‘Coastal and island areas between Ayr and Cardwell, including Townsville, will see the storms from Thursday.
“The most intense rainfall that could lead to dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding is possible near the center and south of that system, which is very likely as this system crosses the coast on Thursday,” Ms Boekel said.
‘The areas between Innisfail and St Lawrence are likely to experience heavy rainfall, leading to flash flooding from early Thursday.
“So from tomorrow we could start to see the effects of flash flooding.”
She said the cyclone will weaken quickly as it moves inland, but is still expected to cause flooding and heavy rain as it moves west.
“That will continue until Friday and into that long weekend,” says Ms. Boekel.
‘It is important to note that it is not just about the crossing, but also about what the system will do once it has crossed the coast.
“We ask all Queenslanders to be aware of our warnings, especially as they make plans for the long weekend.”
The Bureau said the risk of the south-east being hit has reduced, providing some relief for a region still recovering from the devastating Christmas period.
Deputy Commissioner Shane Chelepy said on Tuesday that emergency services were preparing for two disasters: the cyclone and floods.
He urged Queenslanders to prepare as best they can as it could take up to 72 hours for rescuers to reach people trapped by flooding.
Deputy Commissioner Shane Chelepy said on Tuesday that emergency services were preparing for two disasters: the cyclone and floods.
“The next 24 hours are critical for our communities, all the way from Cardwell to the Whitsunday area, to prepare for this crossing,” Mr Chelepy said.
“From this evening we will be asking the community to limit travel in these areas due to high winds and rain.”
People have also been asked to reconsider their plans for an Australia Day long weekend, with some campsites set to close on Wednesday.
Tired emergency services are well prepared and interstate support is about to arrive.
NSW backup left for Queensland on Wednesday to reinforce local crews who had already completed a major recovery effort after back-to-back disasters in December.