Destructive windsTorrential rainPossible floodingPossible disruption to essential supplies like electricity, water and gas
ADVICE TO THE PUBLIC:
Intensity: Category 3, sustained winds near the centre of 130 kilometres per hour with wind gusts to 185 kilometres per hour.
Location: within 30 kilometres of 13.2 degrees South 136.9 degrees East, estimated to be 105 kilometres south of Nhulunbuy and 95 kilometres northeast of Alyangula.
Movement: west at 19 kilometres per hour.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle is impacting coastal areas of the eastern Top End with a coastal crossing early Sunday morning between Birany Birany and Numbulwar. Narelle will then track across the Top End on Sunday and Monday as a tropical low and a Severe Weather Warning is current for heavy, locally intense rainfall and damaging winds.
During Monday, Narelle is expected to move over the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf and gales are forecast to redevelop to the north of the centre. There is a Moderate chance that Narelle redevelops into a tropical cyclone while in the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf near the NT/WA Border.
Hazards:
VERY DESTRUCTIVE WINDS with gusts to 185 km/h are forecast to develop in coastal areas between about Birany Birany and Numbulwar, including Groote Eylandt, overnight into Sunday as Narelle makes landfall.
DESTRUCTIVE WIND GUSTS to 160 km/h are expected between Nhulunbuy and Numbulwar, including Groote Eylandt overnight into Sunday.
GALES with DAMAGING WIND GUSTS to 120 km/h are developing in coastal and adjacent inland areas between Cape Wessel and Nathan River, including Nhulunbuy and Galiwin'ku, and are likely to continue overnight into Sunday. These GALES may extend west to Milingimbi, Ramingining, Bulman, and Ngukurr during Sunday morning.
HEAVY RAINFALL which may lead to FLASH FLOODING is developing about coastal and adjacent inland areas over the eastern Top End between Milingimbi and Nathan River, and is forecast to extend further inland during Sunday. LOCALLY INTENSE RAINFALL leading to DANGEROUS AND LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODING is likely over the eastern Top End between Birany Birany and Numbulwar, including Groote Eylandt overnight, extending inland towards Bulman on Sunday.
Tides will be higher than normal between Milingimbi and Nathan River tonight and Sunday. LARGE WAVES may produce MINOR FLOODING of low-lying coastal areas. A DANGEROUS STORM TIDE between Birany Birany and Port Roper, including Groote Eylandt, is possible as the cyclone centre crosses the coast with DAMAGING WAVES and DANGEROUS FLOODING.
