A powerful tropical cyclone, Narelle, is bearing down on Australia’s Queensland coastline, prompting urgent evacuation orders and preparations for widespread flooding and destructive winds. While downgraded from a category five to a category four system early Friday, the storm remains exceptionally dangerous, with sustained winds near its centre exceeding 270km/h.
The Bureau of Meteorology confirmed Narelle is expected to develop landfall near the remote community of Coen, north of Cairns, around 7am AEST on Friday. Emergency alerts have been issued for Lockhart River, Coen, and Port Stewart, instructing residents to seek immediate shelter in the strongest part of their buildings.
Meteorologist Angus Hines described Narelle as an extremely powerful weather system on Thursday, noting that storms of this magnitude are rare. The approaching cyclone is set to be the first category five system to hit Cape York since Cyclone Mahina devastated the region in March 1899, claiming over 300 lives.
Authorities anticipate wind gusts of up to 250km/h upon landfall, capable of destroying infrastructure, uprooting trees, and severing power lines. The Bureau of Meteorology forecasts that Narelle will weaken as it moves over Cape York Peninsula but is expected to regain strength as it crosses the Gulf of Carpentaria, potentially becoming a severe tropical cyclone before impacting the eastern Northern Territory from late Saturday.
Evacuations are underway, with over 500 people expected to be moved from the remote Gulf of Carpentaria community of Numbulwar in the coming days. Residents who choose to remain in their homes have been warned that emergency services may be unable to respond if conditions become too hazardous.
Despite the severity of the approaching storm, some residents in far north Queensland are maintaining a defiant attitude. Tim Layton, of Greenhoose accommodation near Lockhart River, told AAP that many locals believe there is little that can be done to mitigate the impact of a cyclone and are choosing to “have a beer” and prepare for the inevitable clean-up. Layton noted that his family is well-prepared, with generators primed and supplies secured, but acknowledged the uncertainty of the situation.
More than 100 emergency services personnel have been deployed, and police are conducting door-to-door checks to ensure residents are adequately prepared. After crossing Cape York, the storm is forecast to move towards the Northern Territory’s Top Complete and then potentially to the Kimberley coast in Western Australia.
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