Cyclone Threatens Queensland as Northern Territory Grapples with Heavy Rain and Flooding

A Cyclone is Threatening to Reach Queensland’s Shores within Days as Heavy Rain Continues to Pummel the Northern Territory. Residents are Just Beginning to Recover from the Aftermath of a Devastating Flood and are Now Facing the Prospect of Another Cyclone Making Landfall.

The threat of another cyclone hits Queensland just as the state is starting to recover from the devastating flood caused by Cyclone Jasper in December. Residents in remote communities in the Northern Territory were forced to evacuate to safer areas as the monsoon trough dumped heavy rain and damaging winds on the region. In Pigeon Hole, a settlement about eight hours south of Darwin, around 40 people were relocated, while another 50 people at nearby Daguragu left for Kalkarindji.

The monsoon trough has brought intense rain to the region, with 690mm recorded across seven days in Wadeye, south of Darwin. The heavy rain has caused localized intense falls capable of triggering life-threatening flash flooding, with areas south of Katherine, including Tennant Creek, at risk. Authorities are also monitoring flood levels at Daly River and have closed several roads, including the Victoria River between Katherine and the Western Australian border, and the Buntine Highway.

Meanwhile, a tropical low is building in the Coral Sea and is expected to turn towards the Queensland coast from Sunday. The Bureau of Meteorology warns that the system could strengthen to a category three or higher, potentially making a severe impact on the Queensland coast. It’s too early to predict exactly when the cyclone will make landfall, but the bureau says there’s a significant risk it could cross the coast from late Tuesday.

As the new threat emerges, the state is still recovering from the aftermath of Cyclone Jasper. The massive clean-up effort is finally gaining momentum in the state’s far north, but residents are facing another challenging situation. The low-pressure system is expected to linger in the region for several days, bringing warm, humid, and stormy conditions to large areas of Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales.

Residents in the state’s northern rivers region are among those affected, with around 150 properties isolated at Orara River, near Grafton. Sydney also experienced heavy rain on Wednesday night, with over 40mm of rain recorded in the city centre. The State Emergency Service responded to over 200 incidents statewide, with crews working to restore supplies to isolated areas.