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| Cyclone Nathan bears down on Elcho Island as communities evacuated | Cyclone Nathan bears down on Elcho Island as communities evacuated |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Tropical cyclone Nathan was bearing down on Elcho Island on Sunday night, where more than 200 people were displaced by cyclone Lam just one month ago. | |
| The cyclone, which remains at category two but is expected to increase to a category three on Sunday night, made landfall in the Northern Territory at about 9am Sunday morning, lashing the northeast Arnhem Land coast with gale-force winds. | |
| The cyclone crossed the Cape York peninsula as a category four storm but caused minimal damage and then weakened. After emerging into the Gulf of Carpentaria it intensified to a “high end” category two, and the “destructive core” crossed land between Nhulunbuy and and Cape Shield, with gale-force winds gusting of up to 160km/h. | The cyclone crossed the Cape York peninsula as a category four storm but caused minimal damage and then weakened. After emerging into the Gulf of Carpentaria it intensified to a “high end” category two, and the “destructive core” crossed land between Nhulunbuy and and Cape Shield, with gale-force winds gusting of up to 160km/h. |
| The storm hit at high tide so “large parts of the northeast Arnhem coast have likely experienced some inundation from the storm surge and also the large waves around those coastal areas,” bureau of meteorology regional director, Todd Smith, told media on Sunday afternoon. | The storm hit at high tide so “large parts of the northeast Arnhem coast have likely experienced some inundation from the storm surge and also the large waves around those coastal areas,” bureau of meteorology regional director, Todd Smith, told media on Sunday afternoon. |
| “Longer term we’re expecting the cyclone to move out over the open waters of the Arafura sea and there’s a potential the system may continue to develop and reach category three intensity,” said Smith, however a southwesterly turn from Tuesday was expected to cause the storm to weaken before crossing land between Cape Don and Goulburn island as a category one cyclone. | “Longer term we’re expecting the cyclone to move out over the open waters of the Arafura sea and there’s a potential the system may continue to develop and reach category three intensity,” said Smith, however a southwesterly turn from Tuesday was expected to cause the storm to weaken before crossing land between Cape Don and Goulburn island as a category one cyclone. |
| Nhulunbuy was given the all clear on Sunday evening. Residents from Cape Shield to Alyangula were advised it was safe to leave shelters. | |
| Initial assessments found the airstrip sustained “minor to light” damage, and is open to medical emergency aircraft but not public flights. Electricity was expected to be restored in Yirrkala once a tree was cleared from the power line. Schools will be open as usual on Monday. | |
| “The town of Nhulunbuy and its surrounding suburbs appear to have escaped relatively unscathed from tropical cyclone Nathan and for that everyone should be grateful, but also give praise to the forward planning by the local emergency management committee and the cooperation of the community,” regional controller, commander Bruce Porter said. | |
| “Nhulunbuy itself experienced the eye wall,” Adam Morgan, senior forecaster at the Bureau of Meteorology, told Guardian Australia. | “Nhulunbuy itself experienced the eye wall,” Adam Morgan, senior forecaster at the Bureau of Meteorology, told Guardian Australia. |
| “It didn’t get the strongest winds in the eye wall but it certainly got a period of nearly three hours of sustained gale force winds and wind gusts in the 95 to 100km/h range.” | “It didn’t get the strongest winds in the eye wall but it certainly got a period of nearly three hours of sustained gale force winds and wind gusts in the 95 to 100km/h range.” |
| Communities to the south of Nhulunbuy were likely to have experienced the destructive winds associated with the storm’s eye, gusting around 160km/h, and very heavy rainfall. | Communities to the south of Nhulunbuy were likely to have experienced the destructive winds associated with the storm’s eye, gusting around 160km/h, and very heavy rainfall. |
| The ABC reported trees down at Wallaby Beach, Nhulunbuy, and winds and seas whipped up by the storm had caused some boats to break mooring, and crash into each other. | The ABC reported trees down at Wallaby Beach, Nhulunbuy, and winds and seas whipped up by the storm had caused some boats to break mooring, and crash into each other. |
| Destructive winds gusting up to 120km/h were being experienced on the Gove peninsula late on Sunday afternoon as Nathan moved northwest into Arnhem Bay and towards Elcho Island at about 14km/h. Communities on the island are expected to experience increasing winds as the cyclone gets closer. A storm tide is expected between Elcho Island and Cape Shield. | |
| Acting police commissioner Reece Kershaw said the next priority for emergency services was the community of Galiwin’ku on the island. | |
| Shelters at Gove, Gapuwiyak, Milingimbi, and Galiwin’ku are open. | Shelters at Gove, Gapuwiyak, Milingimbi, and Galiwin’ku are open. |
| About 225 people are in cyclone shelters at Galiwin’ku, as well as 212 people who were moved from an emergency tent city to Shepherdson College. The tents – erected to house displaced people following the destructive category four cyclone Lam – were dismantled on Saturday ahead of Nathan’s arrival. | About 225 people are in cyclone shelters at Galiwin’ku, as well as 212 people who were moved from an emergency tent city to Shepherdson College. The tents – erected to house displaced people following the destructive category four cyclone Lam – were dismantled on Saturday ahead of Nathan’s arrival. |
| Emergency services said on Friday the decision had been made because of the danger posed by flying debris in the predicted strong winds. | Emergency services said on Friday the decision had been made because of the danger posed by flying debris in the predicted strong winds. |
| The displaced groups were expected to be living in the tents for up to eight weeks and authorities won’t know until Cyclone Nathan has passed whether damage caused is likely to extend that. | The displaced groups were expected to be living in the tents for up to eight weeks and authorities won’t know until Cyclone Nathan has passed whether damage caused is likely to extend that. |
| Ramingining and Milingimbi should expect to see gale force winds over Sunday night and Monday morning, according to the emergency services. | |
| “Gales are expected to extend further west to Milingimbi and Maningrida during this afternoon or evening and may extend west to Cape Don overnight on Sunday or Monday morning if the system takes a more westerly track,” said a statement from the Bureau of Meteorology. | “Gales are expected to extend further west to Milingimbi and Maningrida during this afternoon or evening and may extend west to Cape Don overnight on Sunday or Monday morning if the system takes a more westerly track,” said a statement from the Bureau of Meteorology. |
| Communities from Cape Don to the Goulburn Islands – where the community of Warruwi was evacuated to Darwin for Cyclone Lam – are on cyclone watch. | Communities from Cape Don to the Goulburn Islands – where the community of Warruwi was evacuated to Darwin for Cyclone Lam – are on cyclone watch. |
| Kershaw said authorities would monitor the cyclone tracking to determine if Warruwi needed to be evacuated again, given the storm has maintained its intensity throughout Sunday. | Kershaw said authorities would monitor the cyclone tracking to determine if Warruwi needed to be evacuated again, given the storm has maintained its intensity throughout Sunday. |
| It’s expected a decision will be made during the night on Sunday. | |
| Residents in those communities, including on Goulburn and Croker Islands, have been advised to make their final preparations to homes and shelters or decide which public emergency shelter they will use should that advice come through. | Residents in those communities, including on Goulburn and Croker Islands, have been advised to make their final preparations to homes and shelters or decide which public emergency shelter they will use should that advice come through. |
| Groote Eylandt is now considered safe for people to leave their shelters and there has been no indication of significant damage, emergency services said. | Groote Eylandt is now considered safe for people to leave their shelters and there has been no indication of significant damage, emergency services said. |
| However director of the Northern Territory emergency services, Andrew Warton, warned people to take care in the aftermath, particularly of flooded waterways and power lines brought down by the cyclone. | However director of the Northern Territory emergency services, Andrew Warton, warned people to take care in the aftermath, particularly of flooded waterways and power lines brought down by the cyclone. |
| “Everybody understands that this is the second cyclone that many of these people have experienced in the space of one month,” said Warton. | “Everybody understands that this is the second cyclone that many of these people have experienced in the space of one month,” said Warton. |
| “We ask that people continue to do what they did in cyclone Lam, which is listen to authorities, monitor your radios and look out for your friends and your communities. As we did with cyclone Lam, we’ll get through this one as well.” | “We ask that people continue to do what they did in cyclone Lam, which is listen to authorities, monitor your radios and look out for your friends and your communities. As we did with cyclone Lam, we’ll get through this one as well.” |
| The cyclone has approached from the east after crossing the Gulf of Carpentaria from Queensland’s Cape York Peninsula where it made landfall as a category four storm but caused minimal damage. | The cyclone has approached from the east after crossing the Gulf of Carpentaria from Queensland’s Cape York Peninsula where it made landfall as a category four storm but caused minimal damage. |
| Darwin could expect to see significant rainfall during the week, with 200mm to 300mm forecast. The northwest coastal rivers are currently the subject of a flood watch. | Darwin could expect to see significant rainfall during the week, with 200mm to 300mm forecast. The northwest coastal rivers are currently the subject of a flood watch. |