‘Biggest in living memory’: monster cyclone set to hit
One of the biggest cyclones in “living memory” is expected to affect northern Australia, raising fears that flood-affected areas will face further devastation.
Tropical Cyclone Narelle is hurtling towards northern Queensland, where it is expected to make landfall as a dangerous category five system and produce winds of up to 225km/h.
The devastating cyclone will cross the coast near Coen, north of Cairns, early on Friday, triggering warnings that the system could tear through roofs and hurl debris at potentially lethal speeds.
“This may be the largest system many people have seen in living memory,” Queensland Premier David Crisafulli warned on Wednesday.
“The situation is evolving. This is a serious situation and the window for action is clearly closing.”
As Hurricane Narelle passes the coast, residents are warned to be prepared for devastating winds, heavy rainfall and dangerous flooding.
The monster system has sparked fears it will leave a trail of destruction in its wake after three separate landfalls are expected to occur.
Cyclone Narelle will pass Cape York, then reach the Top End coast of the Northern Territory before moving onto Western Australia’s Kimberley coast.
This is the third system to affect the wet Queensland region in just two months after two lows hit and caused widespread flooding.
Narelle is the largest category-four system to hit the far north since Hurricane Debbie devastated the Whitsundays in 2017, causing billions of dollars in damage.
More than 100 emergency personnel were deployed to the north as local residents closed the hatches.
“This is not an opportunity for you to be outside during a hurricane and have that TikTok moment, don’t do that,” said state disaster coordinator Chris Stream.
“A piece of debris thrown at over 100 km per hour will kill you.”
A hurricane watch area has been declared from the Lockhart River on the Cape York Peninsula to the Port Douglas area.
An emergency alert was issued Wednesday to warn locals of Lockhart River to “prepare immediately.”
“This is a hurricane watch and action. Secure belongings, warn others and plan a safe shelter,” the statement said.
The system was heading towards Cape York with damaging winds of up to 120 km/h expected to affect the coast by Thursday.
“We are expecting very destructive winds in excess of 225km/h as the system moves through on Friday morning,” the bureau’s senior meteorologist Jonathan How told AAP.
“We expect to see property damage, roofs destroyed on homes and businesses, trees stripped and power lines downed.”
Heavy rains were also expected to cause flash flooding and a dangerous storm surge.
Mr How said the cyclone was expected to bring significant rain to tropical Queensland and flood watches were in place south of Cairns and Ingham.
Cyclone Narelle will also flood already flooded communities at the bottom of the Top End, including Katherine.
On Tuesday the NT government announced a $100 million flood recovery fund to rebuild critical infrastructure such as roads, bridges and floodwalls.
About 580 people from the flooded NT communities of the Daly River and Palumpa were still in emergency shelters in Darwin and Mataranka.
Flooding in the evacuated Daly River community reached roof height after water levels reached 16.42 metres, eclipsing the 1998 record.
Katherine Mayor Joanna Holden told AAP: “I think everyone is holding their breath at the moment and hoping this will blow away.”
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