HomeAUFormer Cyclone Narelle Brings Torrential Downpours to Top End

Former Cyclone Narelle Brings Torrential Downpours to Top End

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Ex-Tropical Cyclone Narelle is dumping heavy rainfall across the Top End triggering flood warnings, as it moves west towards the Kimberley today.
The severe tropical cyclone made landfall in the Northern Territoryas a category 3 system early on Sunday bringing with it wind gusts of up to 185km/h after moving across Queensland on Friday.

The weather system, now downgraded to a tropical low, unleashed significant rainfall across various regions yesterday and throughout the night, with some areas experiencing up to 200mm, as reported by the Bureau of Meteorology.

The forecast track map of ex-Tropical Cyclone Narelle across the Northern Terrritory. (Bureau of Meteorology)

Adelaide River was drenched with 197mm, while the Central Plateau saw 170mm, and Howley Creek recorded 166mm of rainfall.

“We have issued major flood warnings for the Upper Adelaide River, Daly River, Katherine, and Waterhouse Rivers,” stated Bureau meteorologist Ilana Cherny.

“Although the rainfall is expected to subside, flooding effects are anticipated to continue into the upcoming week.”

Tropical Cyclone Narelle
Flooding of the Coen River cuts a road in Far North Queensland last week. (Facebook)

Today, Narelle is predicted to traverse the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf, heading towards the Northern Kimberley.

Forecasters expect it to continue dumping heavy rain across that region into tomorrow before it moves offshore of the west Kimberley coast where it could restrengthen into a tropical cyclone by Wednesday.

“It is a high chance of redeveloping into a tropical cyclone by early Wednesday morning,” Cherny said.

This would place it north of the Pilbara coast and moving west southwest.

Tropical Cyclone Narelle
A home damaged by Tropical Cyclone Narelle in Far North Queensland last week. (Facebook)

A tropical cyclone warning has been issued for the area from Mitchell Plateau to the Western Australia and Northern Territory border, with a watch area from Beagle Bay to Mitchell Plateau.

While it is likely to remain mostly offshore, it could cause large waves, squally showers and gale force winds along the Pilbara coast.

After Thursday, the path of the system becomes more difficult to predict.

“There is a possibility that the system will directly impact Perth during next weekend, however, models are currently showing a range of different scenarios,” Cherny said.

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