Canberra: A cyclone warning has been issued for Australia’s Northern Territory (NT) after Tropical Cyclone Fina intensified to a Category 2 storm ahead of making possible landfall on Friday or Saturday.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said on Thursday morning that Tropical Cyclone Fina grew in strength to Category 2 overnight after initially being declared as a Category 1 storm on Wednesday.
It said that the slow-moving cyclone was over the Arafura Sea about 415 km northeast of the NT capital of Darwin as of 6:30 a.m. local time, but was expected to turn to the south, then southwest towards the coast later on Thursday.
A cyclone warning has been issued by the BoM for the Cobourg Peninsula, the northernmost point of the mainland NT, and island communities off the NT’s northern coast.
It said that the area could experience destructive wind gusts of up to 155 km per hour from Friday as well as heavy rainfall that could lead to flash flooding, which could extend to Darwin later on Saturday.
The BoM said it is possible that the cyclone could increase in strength to Category 3 on Friday or Saturday as it nears land.
Northern Territory Emergency Services (NTES) has advised people in the Cobourg Peninsula area to immediately commence preparations and people in Darwin and the Tiwi Islands north of the city to consider what action they will need to take if the threat increases, Xinhua news agency reported.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, NTES Chief Officer Wayne Snell said there were no plans for evacuations from island communities and that staying home would be the safest option for most people, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.
When the system makes landfall it will be the earliest time of the year a cyclone has hit the NT since 1970.
(IANS)
