Tropical Cyclone Narelle is set to strike Australia’s Northern Territory on Saturday, having already unleashed damaging winds and heavy rain on the northeast coast. The cyclone, a category two system, is advancing westward in the Gulf of Carpentaria, predicted to intensify as it nears remote eastern territory.
Meteorologists forecast Narelle to gain strength on Saturday, with destructive winds reaching speeds of up to 185 kph (115 mph). The storm landed in Queensland as a category four system, approximately 550 km (340 miles) north of Cairns, known for the nearby Great Barrier Reef, before weakening as it traveled inland.
Narelle follows the path of Tropical Cyclone Fina, which struck the Northern Territory in November. Its arrival brings back grim memories of 1974’s Cyclone Tracy, which devastated Darwin on Christmas Day, resulting in 66 fatalities, one of Australia’s most catastrophic natural events.
(With inputs from agencies.)