Tropical Cyclone Narelle bears down on Top End with severe wind and rain
Thousands of Aussies are bracing for cyclonic winds reaching up to 130km/h as Tropical Cyclone Narelle makes its way across northern Australia.
Tropical Cyclone Narelle will bear down on water through the Gulf of Carpentaria bringing thunderstorms across northern Australia.
The Carpentaria districts will be hit with increasing wind and rain that will extend all the way into Darwin and Western Australia as Narelle tracks westward on Saturday.
The tropical cyclone weakened to a category 2 system with wind gusts up to 130km/h as it moved westward through Aurukun, on the western Cape York Peninsula, on Friday evening.
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“Narelle is forecast to move quickly through the Gulf of Carpentaria overnight and through Saturday, strengthening again to a severe tropical cyclone,” as it approaches the Northern Territory on Saturday, the Bureau of Meteorology warned.
The weather system is forecast to cross the eastern Top End coast as a severe tropical cyclone overnight on Saturday night or early Sunday morning, between Birany Birany and Ngukurr.
On Friday night, sustained winds near the centre of the system were reaching 95km/h, with wind gusts of up to 130km/h
A BOM spokesman said the system would weaken as it moved inland across the Top End on Sunday and Monday.
Narelle is expected to reach landfall as a category 3 system, and should see rainfall ease in Queensland as the cyclone moves westward.
But Saturday will still see showers and storms continue in the tropical north.
Heavy rain was also possible throughout the southern and central coastal parts of Queensland, as well as the southern interior.
Brisbane could be hit with storms and showers reaching a top of 28C.
Showers and thunderstorms will extend to NSW and the ACT seeing temperatures drop below average, Sydney will reach a high of 27C with slightly cooler conditions in Canberra.
Victorians will start the weekend with a foggy morning before condition ease in the western and central parts of the state, while thunderstorms hit the north and east.
Melbourne will reach a top of 23C.
Showers will develop over Adelaide, reaching a top of 26C.
Perth will face an increased fire risk as hot continues continue in the west with the city reach a top of 32C.
Originally published as Tropical Cyclone Narelle bears down on Top End with severe wind and rain
