Tropical Cyclone Fina intensifies into category 4 approaching WA, Top End smashed
Tropical Cyclone Fina will strengthen into a category 4 storm as it moves towards Western Australia’s Kimberley coast, leaving a trail of destruction in the Top End.
The storm, which produced winds of more than 200km, passed north of Darwin on Saturday night, uprooting trees, flooding regional roads and closing schools.
At least 15 public schools and 26 childcare centers were to remain closed in Darwin on Monday, with heavy rains expected to continue as the storm moves westward.
There was a power outage to tens of thousands of homes and businesses in Darwin and the surrounding area, Palmerston and the Tiwi Islands on Sunday night.
Power Water said crews are continuing to assess the damage, but as of Sunday night they had no estimate for when power would be restored.
Large parts of the Northern Territory remained under a severe weather warning on Monday, including isolated showers of up to 150 in Wadeye.
It comes as Tropical Cyclone Fina strengthens into a category 4 storm as it heads towards the Kimberley coast on Monday morning, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
The storm was moving southwestward at 5 miles per hour across Joseph Bonaparte Bay Sunday night.
The storm is expected to revert to category 3 as it approaches the northeast Kimberley coast on Monday afternoon.
“The highly destructive core of severe tropical cyclone Fina is expected to cross the coast near the King George River Mouth on Monday evening,” the bureau said.
Winds are predicted to blow up to 260 km, while the center of the storm could sustain winds of up to 185 km.
Storm and damaging wind warnings have been issued between the King Georges River Mouth and the Western Australia-Northern Territory border.
There were warnings for winds of up to 185km in coastal areas from late Monday, as well as heavy rains and possible flash flooding in the Top End.
Everyone between Daly River Mouth and Wadeye was being advised to stay at home by Northern Territory Emergency Services.
Citizens in Darwin have been warned to be prepared for up to 25mm of rainfall on Monday.
Northern Territory Premier Lia Finocchiaro confirmed on Sunday that no injuries had been reported as a result of the storm and that clean-up was ongoing.
“There has been significant damage around and of course some roads have been closed and now we are heading towards flooded roads and other crossings,” he said.
Ms. Finocchiaro said the hurricane saw “a District united and prepared for what was to come.”
“As a result, we saw largely minimal impact and no injuries,” he said.
Queensland shaken by storms
On the other side of the country, south-east Queensland was also hit by storms over the weekend.
The severe weather warning was canceled around 8.45pm on Sunday after locals reported lightning, wind, rain and hail.
According to the Bureau, up to 7cm of hail was reported at Canungra and up to 5cm of hail at the Silver Spur in the Goondiwindi district.
Brisbane was again under heatwave warnings on Monday, with up to 10mm of showers expected across much of the state’s interior, across the NT and Western Australia.
A heatwave warning has also been issued for parts of northern NSW from Tuesday.
